Anything But Up
by parakeet17
Summary: My perfect summer went down the drain in two seconds flat. I couldn't stand him. But who knows? Maybe being stuck together for a month will change my mind. And maybe we'll start up what we had before, as if we'd never lost it in the first place. Nilly.
1. A Call From Home

**A/N: Hey everyone! Yeah, I know, it's been a while and I've basically been MIA, but I can't help it. Stupid school distracts me and the even stupider Jonabiotic people deleted ALL of my chapter stories (granted, they all involved the Jonas boys when they weren't supposed to, but I'm still severely pissed off at them). Anyways, this popped in to my head just a moment ago, so I thought I'd give it a shot. And who says they can deprive me from writing my Nilly stories? **

**But this time, I definitely_ shouldn't_ have this get deleted considering having the Jonas boys in a story is now **_**legal**_**. Yes, as long as it focuses on Hannah Montana, it's one hundred percent okay! So take that all you Jonabiotics! So enjoy the story!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot. Seriously, I'm a fourteen year old girl. Do you really think I'd be sitting here writing fanfiction if I owned the Hannah rights? Uh, no.**

**XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO**

"Miley! Move it or lose it! The concert is in two hours and we still have to go through warm ups, makeup, wardrobe, and sound check! Plus, we have to do a quick run-through of everything to make sure nothing goes wrong!" I slumped back on the stairs, preparing myself to have to wait another five minutes only to holler up at the popstar yet again.

Bored, I fingered the fringe on the hem of my neon purple skirt I picked out to match my bob-cut wig. The lime green top I had on went perfectly with my high heels and I had a few hot pink accessories. Overall, a very Lola thing to wear. Speaking of wardrobe, I'm not even sure why Miley was taking so long in the first place. I mean, all she has to do is toss on her blonde Hannah wig and go. There's no point in her dressing up only to have to change every thirty minutes for the concert. And besides, she had a whole team devoted to making Hannah look flawless up on stage.

Where as I, Hannah's right hand girl Lola Luftnagle, didn't have fifty people crawling all over me whose sole purpose was to make sure a looked breathtaking. No, I had my mom (who was at work most of the time, which is where I should be right now) and, well, me. I had a makeup kit filled to the brim with every imaginable shade of eye shadow, lipstick, blush, nail polish, and even mascara. There was an old laundry basket overflowing with every Lola wig in multiple shapes and lengths. And don't even get me started on the clothes. Seriously, don't.

After using the bathroom, adjusting my skirt, and making a few touch-ups to my eye shadow, Miley still wasn't down stairs. "Miley Stewart! If you don't get your butt down here in the next two minutes, I will do such illegal things to you!" I rolled my eyes and glanced down at my watch impatiently, tapping my foot and everything.

Just as her one hundred and twenty seconds were coming to an end, she leaped down the stairs in her converses, tank top, and an old pair of shorts with the Hannah wig placed securely on the top of her head. This is why I've been waiting twenty minutes? "Uh, Miley, what took you so long? If that's all you were wearing, then why did I even bother shouting up the stairs when you could have come down here any minute?"

"Wig malfunction," she stated simply, walking over to the fridge and grabbing an apple.

I stared at her mop of blonde hair. "Are you sure? It looks fine to me."

"No, but you should have seen it. Jackson spilled some kind of sauce on it this morning and I was trying to wash it out. I tried hand soap, shampoo, conditioner, dishwashing soap, and wet wipes before the stain finally disappeared. And then it was all poofy and wet, so I had to blow dry it so I didn't look like I just rolled out of bed, hopped in the shower, and left," she explained.

Taking a bite of her apple, she turned off all the lights in her house and walked outside, with me in tow, heading for the limo. She stopped and turned back to lock up the house, then jogged back over to the car, where I had already taken my seat on the cool leather seats, and slid in next to me.

"Sorry, Kenny, I didn't mean to make you wait, but I had a bit of a wardrobe malfunction," she told the driver, her way of letting him know we could start driving to the arena. I said a quick hello to Kenny, who waved back, before I turned to Hannah.

"You know, if you had been just a few seconds later, I would have blown my top off. You can't be late for your final concert before summer. Especially because it's a charity concert." I reached in to the mini fridge and pulled out a grape soda. My favorite.

Hannah rolled her eyes and leaned back in the seat, enjoying these last fifteen minutes of peace before she was swept up in the lifestyle of being a famous popstar where she'd be waited on hand and foot for the next hour and a half before going out on stage to perform for thousands of adoring fans. After all, it's a hard-knock life.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Ugh. I've been sitting here in this room for nearly two hours. Nothing good is on TV, the workers are too busy with their jobs to talk to me, the other acts at the charity concert are total snobs, and the brilliance of the chocolate fountain starts to fade after five years.

Yes, you heard me correctly, five years. And counting. I found out Miley was Hannah when I was thirteen. Now I'm eighteen. I'm not exactly sure how Miley managed to keep her double life under wraps and away from the nosy media, but she did. Now we're out of school and Miley's going to try to keep Hannah alive for as long as possible, maybe starring in a few movie or television roles, too.

Me? I'm just taking a year off before I start college. I mean, do you really want to _finally_ graduate high school only to have to start the scary adventure they call college just three months later? Not quite. I'd much rather travel the world or do some backpacking through Europe or something interesting like that. When I'm old and gray, I want to have some really great memories to look back on and not just memories of me sitting on the couch in my pajamas watching reruns of Friends. No, I mean I want memories of exciting things.

Grabbing the remote and flipping through the channels to distract me from the thoughts of school, I came across the news. Another robbery. Some lady gave birth to septuplets. A girl nearly half my age was accepted to college. Blah, blah, blah. Oh, hold on, this one actually looks interesting. No, wait. It's another set of boring details about the current status of the government. And I know I should care more, but I'm hooked on being a kid. And what kid wants to listen to politics? None that I know of.

Just as I was considering carving my name in to the underside of the table, leaving my mark there permanently, my cell phone rang. The ringtone was a special one I picked out for my family in northern California. I smiled, reminiscing all of the childhood memories I shared with my cousins, and I especially remembered the back door with little pencil dashes scrawled all over it from when I was younger and my cousins and I would measure ourselves constantly. Who can forget the multiple summers I would spend with my grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins from all over? Gosh, I haven't been there in years.

Pulling myself out of Memory Lane and back in to reality, I dug around in my lime green purse, that was picked out to match my shirt, before I finally found the source of the music (beside the familiar beat of Hannah in the background). I double checked to be sure that it was family, and flipped open the phone.

"Yola!" I practically screamed in to the phone. I hadn't talked to these people in so long, it's a wonder I'm not jumping around in circles.

"Lilly?" An old, raspy voice filled my ears and I instantly recognized it as my grandfather's voice.

"Hi, Grandpa!" Seriously, I was stoked to hear from him. Not to sound rude or pushy or anything, but I'm secretly – or not so secretly – wishing he's calling to see if I want to spend a month or two with him on the farm. Miley isn't the only one with country cousins.

"Hello, Lilly Pad!" He greeted cheerfully, using my old nickname I've had since I was four. "Sorry this is going to be a short call, but can I talk to your mom by any chance? I tried calling your home phone, but no one answered. And I lost her cell phone number, so I called you. So, you wouldn't happen to have it, would you?"

"Have what?" I joked, waiting anxiously to hear his deep laugh again.

"Lillian, I know you're just trying to have some fun, but this is serious. I really do need to know how to contact your mother or you'll be seeing me much sooner than you think," he informed me and all traces of the joy in his voice were completely diminished.

"Uh, sure, I can give it to you." I was trying not to let my voice waver, a sure give away that I was scared of what was going on. I recited the digits from memory before asking what was wrong.

He sighed deeply. "Well, I haven't been paying the mortgage lately, and now the state is threatening to take away, well, everything if I don't pay up by the end of this month." I was shocked. I couldn't talk or move, let alone breathe. "Listen, Lilly Pad, everything will be okay. I promise you that. Just don't think about it, alright? I'll call you tomorrow to check in on you. It was nice talking to you." I was about to say goodbye when I remembered I had no voice. Instead, I gave out a moan, to let him know I'd heard him, and then he hung up.

What does he mean? Does he just not have the money anymore? But what about the crops he would grow and then sell to the local market? Does this mean I won't have another chance to spend a summer there? No, it can't be true. It just can't be.

Would I never get to sleep in that house again? I even had a room picked out for me with a nice, blue bed spread and a little white desk to write at and everything. Would I never wake up to the smell of eggs and pancakes again? And what about sitting on the deck and eating breakfast, overlooking the fields all the while?

_No, Lilly, don't think like that!_ I mentally scolded myself. I can't just give in that easily. I have a headstrong attitude and my grandpa assured me that everything would be all right. He's going to call me tomorrow and give me the good news. And then I'll know that I was worrying over nothing. Everything will be okay.

I hope.

**XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO**

**Ta da! So there's the first chapter! And I sincerely hope that all of you enjoyed it! I have a general idea of where this story is going, but if you have any suggestions, I'm open to a few changes! So, yeah, if you liked it (and I'm really hoping that all of you who read this did) then feel free to review! I'll try my best to respond to all of them! The only reason I wouldn't be able to is if I'm knee-deep in school work. Anyways, click on that little blue-ish button in the bottom left hand corner! Bye for now!**

**And if I'm seriously lacking in the updates department, feel free to send me a PM telling me you'd like to see another chapter soon and I'll get right on it! Honestly, don't hesitate!**

**Parakeet17**


	2. An Interesting Solution

**A/N: Thanks to everyone who reviewed or put me on alert! It was only a few, but it still means a lot to me! Also, I'm incredibly grateful for reviews, but at least ten words would be nice. I'm not trying to force you to review, but don't you like to get reviews for your stories? Anyways, I probably sound like a brat, but I'm not! Anyways, I really hope everyone enjoys this chapter!**

**Thanks to: ****bebe098****, .x****, ****minimandyjrox****, ****TroyellaLover****, and last but not least, ****RandomActsOfSmartness****!**

**XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO**

"Ow! Miley, you're stepping on my fingers!"

"Well you're elbowing me in the ribs!"

I held up a hand, signaling for Miley to be quiet. We were currently crouched on the basement stairs that led up to the kitchen, where my mom was talking with my grandpa. She probably thought we were still sound asleep, wrapped up in blankets and piles of pillows, dead-tired from the concert last night. Which is why it was so easy for us to hear what she was saying, considering she wasn't worried about us overhearing. But we still had to keep quiet or else our cover would be blown.

Removing my elbow so it wouldn't jab Miley in the side anymore, I put my index finger up against my lips, yet another signal to keep the noise nonexistent. She nodded and lifted her foot up and off of my fingers so we could crawl up the stairs a bit more and press our ears to the door. When we got there, we took a seat on one of the steps and listened carefully.

"I know, Dad. Coming up with twice the normal amount of crops in half the time will be hard. But maybe I can convince Lilly and her friends to come help you out over there. We could tell them that you just wanted to have them stay for a month or two and never tell them anything," my mom suggested. There was a pause, probably my grandpa coming up with a few other ideas or alternatives, and my mom must have sat down at the kitchen table because I heard the scrape of the chair against the hardwood floor.

"But Lilly and her friends wouldn't have to know anything," she continued. "They'd love staying there for a while and you could say that you just need a few extra hands. Maybe say something about old age or something. Not that you're old or anything, but it would leave them completely oblivious."

Another pause.

"You mean that even if three extra people came and helped out, it still wouldn't be enough? Well, have you considered some kind of fundraiser?" Through the very tiny crack in the door, I could see my mom look over to where the basement door was. We were thinking the same thing. "With my planning and Lilly's creative ideas, we're bound to come up with something. I'll have to explain to her what's going on, which she might not like, but it's necessary. I mean, she's eighteen now."

I turned to Miley, who might as well of had a light bulb above her head. I guess Miley, my mom, and I were all on the same page. "Don't worry. Like I said, Dad, Lilly and I are bound to come up with something. I love you, too. Bye," she hung up the phone and sighed. "Girls, you can get out from behind the door now."

Miley looked shocked, and I'm pretty sure my expression mirrored hers. I gently pushed the door open with my fingertips before standing up and taking a seat across from my mom at the kitchen table. Miley sat next to me and just stared at her. "How did you know?" She asked.

"I'm a mom. Moms know everything," she smirked, looking up at the ceiling where Miley, Oliver, and I had left a stain from the strawberry smoothie incident last year. And to think, we thought we'd covered it up pretty well.

I looked down from the ceiling and back at my mom, my face solemn. "I saw you look over at the door when you said something about a fundraiser. You were thinking about Miley. Or, more specifically, Hannah."

Miley nodded in agreement and we both looked at my mom, who caved in after a few seconds. "I know it's pushy and rude and maybe a little insane, but do you think that maybe Hannah can make a bit of a special appearance? For my dad? He really needs the money or else he'll lose everything. But if Hannah were to show up and have people pay even just ten dollars for a ticket, then that would be more than enough money and you can spend the rest or do whatever you like with it." My mom's eyes were hopeful. "It's really up to you."

I'm not sure I've ever heard my mom sound so desperate. I know I was thinking along the same lines and I probably was wishing even harder than my mom that Miley could turn things around for Grandpa. "Miley?" I turned to her and she smiled softly.

I knew that smile. It was apologetic. "Sorry, my hands are tied. Even though I'm eighteen, my dad still likes to be in charge of everything Hannah related. The whole reason I'm taking a summer long break is because he and Jackson won some kind of contest for a free, all expenses paid trip to the Bahamas for a month. My dad plans on paying for the two months afterward, but it's his time to relax," she explained. "Lucky for me, that means I have the whole house to myself for almost the entire summer vacation."

My mom's face fell to the floor and I'm pretty sure her eyes were brimming with tears that were threatening to fall, just as mine were. "So that's it?" My voice cracked. And I honestly thought we had a chance. "Come on, even if we did come up with something else, would it really be as successful as this? Is Grandpa going to have to come live with us now? What about all of the chickens and cats and dogs he has? Where will they go?" One tear spilled over, and I knew it was an invitation for all the others to do the same. I wiped it away with the back of my hand, but it was no use. The water works had started and there was no stopping them now.

My mom reached a comforting hand across the table and placed it on mine. "I'm sorry, honey. But if you honestly think your grandfather is going to give up that easily, then you've got another think coming." I had to smile at the truth in that. He's headstrong. He's not going down without a fight.

Miley smiled again. But this time it didn't have even a trace of any apology or sympathy. She looked like she was just struck by an idea. I sniffled and wiped a few more stray tears away before looking at Miley, a small smile starting to appear on my face. "What are you so happy about?"

"I never said we couldn't do the concert. I just said Hannah couldn't do the concert. But I think I know a few friends that could." She sprang up from her seat and ran down stairs before returning a few seconds later with her cell phone in hand. And not just her regular cell phone. No, it was the Hannah phone. "Let me see here," she said, scrolling through the never-ending contact list. "No, he can't do it, he's in jail . . . that guy helped the other guy get in jail . . . they're on a European tour . . . she's visiting her Swedish cousins . . . he's too snobby to even care . . . oh, look at that. They're free."

My mom and I exchanged amused glances before turning back to Miley, who held up her phone, clearly trying to show us a picture. "How about these guys?" she asked, showing my mom the picture. My mom looked at me once, but then averted her eyes back to Miley and nodded.

Oh no. I know who it is. I can tell just by the look on my mom's face. My heart just sped up to an alarmingly fast pace and my hands started sweating. Please tell me it's not who I think it is. "I know you aren't going to like this Lilly, but it's our only chance." Miley's hand slowly held out her cell phone and I glanced at the picture. Of course they're the only free ones.

I pushed the phone away from me. "Miley, are you sure that absolutely no one else is available?" I was desperate. I was pleading. I was wishing that someone else will magically clear they're schedule for me and make my day.

"I'm sorry Lilly, but no one else will draw as big of a crowd. And they're the only ones who'd be willing to do it." There was that apologetic smile again.

Unfortunately, I can't even hide under a neon colored wig and crazy outfit. After dating him for a year, the lies became too much and Miley and I spilled the beans about our double lives. They seemed cool with it, which I was beyond grateful for, and it's not like they've ever slipped up about our secret. So I guess it won't be too bad if they performed. I mean, it's for my grandfather, right? Right. And I'd only have to deal with them for two hours, and they'd be up on stage almost the entire time . . .

"Okay, they can do it. And I'll have you know that the _only_ reason I'm doing this is for Grandpa," I groaned, pointing at my mom and Miley to make sure they got the message that I was anything but pleased at the idea of seeing them again.

My mom smiled at me. "Thank you so much for doing this for your grandfather, Lilly. I know you don't exactly want to see them again, but it means a lot to me."

I tried to smile back at her, but it was hard with the members of the Jonas Brothers staring at me from the screen of Miley's phone. "Yeah, whatever. Miley, just call them and tell them we need their help. Try to give as little details as possible and please avoid bringing me up in the conversation like your life depends on it, all right?"

"Right. I'll do that. So just give me a minute or two to explain everything and ask them if they'll do it and then I'll hang up, let you know the answer, and we can go hang out at the beach, okay?" I mumbled some agreement before watching Miley press a few buttons, put the phone up to her ear, and thankfully walk down to the basement so I wouldn't have to hear the conversation.

When she came upstairs five minutes later, she was beaming. "They'll do it! I talked to them and they said that they'd definitely help out! I mean, we'll have to talk to them later and plan everything out and pick a date and stuff like that, but they said yes!" She was smiling her head off and we all ran up and joined in a group hug.

Now it was my mom's turn to smile broadly. "Thank you so much, Miley. How can we repay you?" My mom sounded a bit dramatic, but I knew she meant it with all of her heart.

"Well," Miley said, thinking of some kind of request, snapping when she thought of it, "I know how much Lilly loves that farm and that's almost all she talked about last night. Do you think her grandpa would be willing to let us hang out there for a month or so? It sounds amazing and I'd love to see the place and meet him."

"Your wish is my command," my mom laughed, pretending to be a genie. A bit embarrassing, but what can you do? "I'll call my dad and let him know. I'm sure he'd adore a visit from you two."

And with that, my mom scurried over to the phone and dialed in my grandpa's phone number at an incredibly fast rate and started telling him the good news. Miley and I went downstairs to grab her stuff and get changed, then head over to the beach. But the only thing I could think of through out the rest of the day is how many ways this could end disastrously.

What have I gotten myself in to?

**XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO**

**Okay, so what did everyone think? Good? Bad? More details? Suggestions? Tell me in a review! I have anonymous reviews enabled, so even if you don't have an account, go for it! And I promise I will respond to all reviewers one way or another. **

**Also, my cousin wrote her first chapter of her first story on fanfic recently, and she doesn't have an account yet, so I'm putting it on mine! So be on the lookout for that! And . . . yeah, I've pretty much run out of things to say. Review! Thanks!**

**Peace, Love, and Music!**

**Parakeet17**


	3. Perfect Summer?

**A/N: Guess what I found out! I found out that Hannah fics with the Jonas boys are now legal! They just can't be Jonas based with a made-up character or anything like that, but my story is legal! Yay! And for any of you who are reading this that were doing the Camp Rock crossover thing, have no fear! Your JB and HM fics are now legal! Gah, I don't think you guys fully understand the level of happiness I'm at right now! So, yeah, I'm now changing names like Nate, Jason, Shane, and Connect Three to what they should be – Nick, Kevin, Joe, and Jonas Brothers! So, yeah, enjoy the story!**

**Thanks to these reviewers****: ****peaceloveejonas****, ****RandomActsOfSmartness****, ****bdwy411****, ****bebe098****, ****unknown****, and ****Joxbrosx17****! Thanks so much for your reviews!**

**To unknown (and anyone else who was wondering): I will do a flashback that explains everything, I promise! Just wait another few chapters, but it will be there!**

**XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO**

I slicked back my blonde hair in to a ponytail with a little tuft sticking up at the top, secured by a few bobby pins. I did a quick once-over of my outfit in the mirror. A red tank top, white cover-up, jean shorts, and flip flops. A safe outfit. Good for traveling. Good for summer. And it will show a certain teenage heartthrob that I've taken care of myself without his help, whether he like it or not.

"Lilly! Come on, get a move on! We've still got to pick up Miley and then drive the four hours to your grandpa's house and still manage to be in time for the concert!" My mom yelled up the stairs. I slid my favorite necklace around my neck. It was silver, with a rhinestone studded heart in the center, a rhinestone ruby resting in the upper right curve of the heart. I found it collecting dust yesterday in a box full of old junk that I had put in my closet and forgotten about.

Grabbing my two duffel bags packed with clothes and backpack full of entertaining stuff, I glanced in the mirror one more time before jetting down the stairs and running out to the car. I tossed my bags in the trunk of the mini van and then hopped in the front seat, popping my favorite mix CD in the player and turning up the volume. When my mom came in the car, she complained a bit about the volume level, but shut her mouth after a few seconds, remembering what guy I had to face today. She buckled her seat belt, adjusted her mirror, and backed out of the driveway, heading for Miley's house.

When we pulled in five minutes later, we found Miley already sitting out on her porch swing, waiting for us. "How long have you been waiting?" I asked the second I saw her.

"What, no hello?" She joked, also picking up her three bags of stuff. "Actually, some critic was about to bash Hannah and I had to get out of the house before I heard a word of it. So, I came out here. It's only been about ten minutes, so don't worry. I wasn't waiting too long," she giggled, skipping over to the car, where I opened the trunk for her, closing it when she was done. I held open the back door and slid in next to her, closing it after me.

"To infinity and beyond!" I screamed, posing like Buzz Lightyear. Miley laughed and my mom rolled her eyes, stepping on the gas. She's got a long drive ahead of her.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

"Lilly and Miley, it's time to wakey-wakey!" My mom jostled my arm a bit and I sat up straight. Are we here already? I guess talking for two hours straight really made Miley and I tired. I shook Miley's arm, just as my mom did to me a few seconds ago, and she quickly opened her eyes.

"Are we here already?" She stole the words right out of my mouth. She unbuckled her seat belt and fixed her hair and adjusted her shirt before climbing out with me right behind her. "Oh, wow. Lilly, I know you said this place was amazing, but I didn't know it would look this amazing!"

I took in a deep whiff of the fresh country air, a light breeze making even the hottest California weather feel nice. Laying my eyes on the barn, I smiled. It was painted red a few years ago, and never got painted back. The paint was faded and chipping, but it gave the place a homey feel to it. A few white and yellow chickens bobbed about on the dry, yellow grass. Rows and rows of multiple types of fruit trees lined the other rows and rows of various vegetables. The small white house with purple shutters next to the barn also had faded and chipping paint, but it was hard not to scream just at the sight of the old thing.

I had spent so many summers here and made so many memories. Back home I had two scrapbooks full of pictures, not to mention the empty one tucked safely away in my suitcase, along with my digital camera. I was planning on this being another great summer, and nothing would stand in my way. When I saw the familiar blue curtains being pulled to the side only to reveal my grandfather's face, I must have screamed.

Miley nearly dropped her bags because of my shriek, but I didn't care. I finally got to see my Grandpa again! "Grandpa!"

"Lilly Pad!" he shouted, rushing over to greet us all. When he finally reached me, I gave him a great big bear hug before letting him say hi to my mom and then introduce him to Miley. After everyone knew each other, my grandpa insisted on everyone coming inside for a glass of milk and cookies, but my mom refused.

"Honestly Dad, I'd love to stay and talk with you face to face, but I have to get back to work or else my boss will have a fit. But I promise I'll call you when I get there, to let you know it was a safe ride home, all right?" She sounded genuinely sorry to have to leave, but I knew she had to. I've met her boss, and trust me when I say that you don't want to get on his bad side.

"Okay," Grandpa huffed, giving my mom a hug and a kiss on the cheek with me following suit. "I love you. Drive safe. Wear a seat belt. Don't talk to strangers," he rattled off, making me and Miley laugh. As my mom's car drive away a minute later, I walked away from the window, where I had been waving to my mom, and sat down at the small, circular, wooden table, dunking another chocolate chip cookie in my cup of milk.

"So," my grandpa said after a few minutes of catching up and talking with one another, "when do we get this party started?"

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Oh, god. I think I just heard a car door slam. Well, make that four car doors slamming. It so isn't fair that I only got an hour of peace before _he_ showed up. I like his band mates, his music, his style, and stuff like that, but not him. Never again.

"Battle stations!" I heard Miley cry from somewhere down the hall, followed by the sound of her feet hitting the carpeted door, rushing to answer the doorbell they had just rung. I honestly don't care if she's friends with them. Heck, I'm still friends will two thirds of that band. The other third? Miley can still be friends with him. I once was. But like I said: never again.

The footsteps temporarily stopped, Miley was probably fixing her hair again, before I heard the squeak of the hinges as the front door swung open. Miley greeted all of them with a friendly hello and my grandpa welcomed them in the house warmly. I guess I'm going to have to face them some time, right? Right.

So, sitting up from my bed and tugging at my shirt, I made my way down the hall and down the stairs and around the corner to where the three guys stood. I took a deep breath before plastering a fake smile on my face. "Kevin!" I exclaimed, running up to give him a hug. "Joe!" I screamed shortly afterwards, giving him a hug as well. "How are you guys?! Seriously, I haven't seen you guys in so long!" I turned and spotted their manager, who I remembered that Lola had met, but Lilly hadn't. So, I shook his hand politely as if it was the first time I'd ever laid eyes on him.

Everything was going pretty well. The air was a bit tense, considering everyone but my grandpa and the manager knew the full extent of what happened last year. I was smiling at everyone, besides _him_, when he decided to say something. Clearing his throat first, he raised his hand and gave me a small wave. "Hi Lilly."

"Hi Nick," I said politely. If two people in this room weren't completely oblivious to the past Nate and I shared, I'd be giving him the cold shoulder. Luckily, all I have to do is endure his presence for the next three hours, and he'll be on the stage most of the time. Just three hours. I can do it.

"Well," Grandpa said after what felt like an eternity of awkward silence, "some people set up a small stage a few days ago in the middle of a corn field about a mile away. It used to be a maze, so some stalks were already cleared and that's where the crowd can stay."

"And all of the tickets were sold for ten dollars each, which gives us a grand total of . . ." the manager of the Jonas Brothers did the math in his head and told us the total amount.

"Wow," Grandpa sighed. "That's perfect. In fact, it's more than enough! Thank you so much! How can I repay you boys?"

"Aw, it's nothing," Joe waved his hand in the air like helping out his brother's ex-girlfriend's grandpa was an everyday thing. "Really, when Miley told us you needed a bit of help, we immediately agreed. And we don't need anything in return. In fact, we'd like to give you the rest of the money," Joe said, smiling his hundred-watt smile.

"Are you sure? I mean, that's a lot of money to just hand off to someone you hardly know," my grandpa protested.

"No, we want you to have it. Honestly, we do."

"Well . . . thank you!" I think that's the only thing my grandpa is going to be able to say for a while. After all, he was broke just a week ago and now he has more money than he originally needed.

"Well," the manager cut in, "we might want to start setting things up, right?" Everyone agreed and the Jonas boys hopped in the van they came in and headed off to the stage. Just three more hours and I'm done. Just three more, that's it, I can do this.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

"Thank you and goodnight!" Kevin yelled to the huge crowd after their second encore song. "We'll see you all soon! You're amazing! We love you!" And with that being said, he, Joe, and Nick walked off the stage with smiles on their faces.

"Oh my god, thank you guys so much for doing this for my grandpa! You don't even know just how much this means to me!" I would have gone up and hugged them, and I almost did, but I realized that they were drenched with sweat from the summer heat. "Uh, I'll wait until a later date to give you that hug," I promised them.

"We're just glad we could help," Joe said. Nick nodded, which I ignored, before telling them that they could hang out here for a while until the crowd went away. Behind the stage was a curtain and behind that was a cooler full of drinks and a few folding chairs. It took nearly an hour before everyone left, but when they did, we packed up everything and took it back to Grandpa's house.

I said goodbye to everyone and hugged almost all of them now that they weren't all sweaty anymore. Just as I was letting off a satisfied smile while the band climbed in to the car they originally came in, their manager just had to go and ruin everything.

He came running out of the house with his cell phone and clip board in hand, waving his arms all about. "Hold it!" At the sight of the guy, everyone stopped what they were doing. "I just got some very bad news," he told us. We all leaned forward as he continued to tell us what was wrong, following his gaze and looking at the boys. "I've just been told that someone broke in to your bank account and took _everything_. All the money is gone."

"All of it?" Nick stuttered. "It's all gone? Every last penny?"

"_All_ of it." Their manager sighed deeply as everyone let the news sink in. Grandpa walked out of the house with the jar of money in his hand, holding it out to Joe.

Joe stepped back, away from my Grandpa's hand that was currently thrusting money at him. "No, we told you that you could have the money. But . . . not to sound rude, but could we by chance have the left over money?" My grandfather nodded vigorously and handed over the extra cash to Joe eagerly.

The manager sighed again. "I'm sorry boys, that that will only be enough for about a week or so. You're going to have to find a friend to stay with until I can sort this out."

"Not all of us," Kevin chimed in. "I want to go with you. I want to learn about how to deal with this in case it ever happens again. I know I'm not the sharpest tool in the shed, but I really want to go. Nick and Joe can stay somewhere, but I'm going with you." After a few minutes of thinking it over, the manager agreed.

"Actually, boys, I was thinking . . ." My grandpa approached Joe and Nick. Oh no. Please, don't let him say what I think he's going to say. I already had to put up with him for the past couple of hours, but does he really think I could survive another month of this? Please no. I'll go insane. Just don't say what I think he's going to say. ". . . I'm already having Lilly and Miley stay at my house for the month. Why don't you two join us? It'll be plenty of fun!"

Oh, god. My life is ruined. "Perfect!" the stupid manager cried out, shoving Nick and Joe forward as he ran over to the van with Kevin in tow, the instruments and other devices already packed away. Well, except for Nick's guitar and Joe's guitar, but everything else was carefully stored in the back of the van. "Have a good month, boys! We'll call you and keep you updated! Bye!"

And with that, he drove off. I stared at Nick in horror. No. This cannot be happening. What happened to my perfect summer? It just went down the drain in two seconds flat.

I hate this.

**XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO**

**A/N: Yay! Wow, I finally can post something involving the Jonas Brothers without having the fear of them being illegal or anything! So, I think that in order to celebrate this lovely happening, I get plenty of reviews telling me about how happy all of you are about this and I'll respond to them the second I get them! Also, I **_**think**_** I responded to everyone's reviews. If I didn't, I'm so sorry! But I promise I will this time! Also, tell me if I missed any names and there's some random 'Shane' popping up in the middle of the story. So please review and I'll send you my specialty . . . virtual cookies! Yum!**

**Parakeet17**


	4. A Way With Words

**A/N: Hola! So, I'm in a pretty good mood right now, but it's kinda sad to write this author's not. Even though I'm eternally grateful for those of you who have favorited this story and put it on alert, could you please take the time to review for this chapter, especially since it's the holiday season? I promise I'll respond to **_**all **_**of them no matter how busy or lazy I am! I only got two reviews last chapter! Well, it's three if you count the one that said "re- re- reported!" but I don't, so the total review count is two. Like I said, I adore the favorites and alerts, but a few more reviews would be a bit nice. Don't worry, I still love you all!**

**Thanks to: ****peaceloveejonas**** and ****bebe098****! You guys were my only reviewers for last chapter and you guys are amazing! This chapter is dedicated to both of you! Enjoy!**

**XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO**

I slowly opened my eyes.

My iPod speaker was still playing mellow songs from last night when I turned it on to help me fall asleep. One of the best things about this place is waking up with the sun shining through your window and a light breeze flowing through the open window like it was right now. The music just added an extra calming effect.

I breathed in deeply and smiled at how happy I was to be here, taking in the scent of the peach laundry detergent Grandpa uses to wash his sheets. My tank top and pajama shorts rubbed up against the soft comforter as I slid out of bed and walked towards the door, heading down to the kitchen where I could already smell bacon and eggs calling my name.

And it's just what I needed, too. After the insane dream I had last night, a warm breakfast would do me some good. I guess I must have had one too many s'mores with Miley last night, because I had a dream that the manager of the Jonas Brothers said something about the guys being a few dollars short of completely broke. And then Kevin wanted to go help sort everything out, so Grandpa offered to have Nick and Joe stay here. The details are a bit fuzzy, but that's the basic idea.

I mean, I know they performed here to help Grandpa get some well-needed cash, but staying here for the rest of the month with me and Miley? That's insane. Seriously, though, I'm going to have to cut back on the s'mores next time.

Reaching the bottom of the stairs, I clearly heard Miley's voice drifting from the kitchen, probably talking to my grandpa. "Hey Miley," I laughed, "you'll never guess what crazy dream I just had . . ."

I turned the corner in to the sunny yellow kitchen and my smile faded quickly. It wasn't a dream. There, sitting on the stools of the counter was Miley, Joe, and _him_. Oh, will someone please tell me I'm dreaming again? "Hey, Lilly. Good morning!" Miley greeted me happily. Joe laughed and commented on my bed head, and Nick just offered a small wave and a quiet hello.

"Morning," I told them lazily, gathering a plate and scooping up some bacon and eggs on it to eat for breakfast. I grabbed a grapefruit from the fridge and got myself a glass of orange juice. When I was done, I scanned the kitchen for a place to eat, realizing that the only open stool was next to Nick. You know what? I think I'll just go eat out on the deck this morning. I walked out and was greeted with my memories of looking out on to the multiple fields of vegetables and rows of fruit trees. Where do you think the grapefruit came from?

I heard the back door slide open and then slide close, a person sitting in a chair next to mine a few seconds later. "Listen, Lilly, I know you don't like Nick. At all. But he truly is sorry. If you could only hear the whole story of _why_ he did what he did."

I grimaced. "Look Miley, I honestly don't care if you're friends with him I really don't. I was once friends with him, and I'm still friends with Joe, but how can I stay friends with someone who broke my heart?" Did she really not understand how hard it was for me? Maybe I could have forgiven him if he had at least given me some sort of explanation, but did he? No.

"No, really Lilly. If you would just listen to what he has to say to you . . . he's been trying to tell you since he got here yesterday but you've avoided him like a plague. He's genuinely sorry. You can tell by the look in his eyes. He's a good guy and you know it," Miley said, and I knew she was working some kind of charm so I would cave in and give Nick a chance. Not likely.

I took another bite of my breakfast, swallowed, and looked at Miley. "What part of _I never want to see that idiot again_ do you not understand?" I asked, repeating what I said when Nick left. "You saw me after what he did. I wasn't broken . . . I was shattered."

Miley thought about what I was saying. "Well, yeah, that was stupid of him and he was a total jerk for not giving you any warning or telling you the truth about what he was doing. But I already slapped him upside the head for that!" Miley grinned, and I almost cracked a smile when she said she hit him, but was it just me or did she just have two completely opposite opinions about Nick within the span of one minute?

"Pick a side, Stewart," I glared at her, stabbing my eggs angrily with my fork.

"It's been a year. Grow up, Truscott," Miley said quietly before walking back through the sliding door and in to the kitchen.

Ouch. I mean, I know I'm acting a kind of childish about this, but that was a bit harsh. Sort of. It did knock some sense in to me, if that's the approach she was going for. I hate to admit it, but she's right.

But that doesn't mean I'm giving in that easily. I want an official apology from the guy. I don't care what she, or anyone else, says. I'm standing my ground.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

"Yes! I rolled a three! That's means I get all the money in the middle!" Joe cried, grabbing fistfuls of the fake, paper money and dividing it by the color of the money.

I rolled my eyes jokingly and laughed. "I don't get it, Joe. I'm not gonna lie: you suck at every other board game, but somehow you manage to win at Monopoly every single time you play it!" It genuinely confuses me. He's _never_ lost a game of Monopoly! How?!

"Everyone has their special talents. Nick can write songs, Miley can live a double life, Nick gets all the girls, you're double jointed, and I'm amazing at this game!" He told me, handing the dice to Miley so she could have a turn. Miley, however, is terrible at this game and rolled a three, putting her in jail. I laughed and took the dice from her, landing on my own property so I didn't have to pay anything.

My grandpa was out grocery shopping and Nick was somewhere. I really don't care where, so long as he isn't snooping around in my room. Deciding that I better go check, I told Miley and Joe that I had to use the bathroom and darted around the corner, not completely lying as I made a quick stop in the tiled room. When I was done, I rushed upstairs and just about had a collision with the curly-haired, teenage heartthrob I despised so much. He looked awkwardly guilty as he ran a hand through his hair, his brown eyes refusing to meet my blue ones. "I . . . uh, I mean . . . Lilly, uh . . . hi?"

I glared at him. "What were you doing in my room?" I'm not quite sure Nick understands that I know things about him that the press doesn't. The teenage girls in the world will eat it up if I leaked a few words about the guy to some teen magazine. Plus, I'd get paid for the inside scoop. The gossip would spread like wildfire on a dry summer day.

He stuttered for a while before finally looking at me. "I noticed you didn't feed your fish today. I was just making sure he didn't starve," I looked past his shoulder and found that tiny flakes of fish food were floating on the water just like he said. But I was still skeptical. "So is his name actually Toast?"

I almost smiled. That's the reaction I get from most people. Slapped on the outside of the clear fish bowl is one of those "Hello. My name is . . ." stickers you get at charity events so people know who you are. In blue marker, I scribbled the name Toast on it and drew a sloppy picture of a

"It was either that or Jelly," I explained. "I got him as a random gift from Oliver one day. I was sick and I couldn't do anything, so he biked down to the pet store and bought me a goldfish. I was having toast and jelly when he gave him to me, so I named him toast. End of story," I told him, smiling at the memory. If Oliver was here, everything would be so much better. If I felt sad, he'd crack a joke and instantly make me feel better. He was the best friend a girl could ask for. But no, his aunt is getting married, so he and his mom have to go help her get things ready and take her to a personal trainer so she can fit in to her wedding dress. Whatever.

Nick smiled, showing off his professionally-whitened teeth. Remind me to go buy white strips and toothpaste with extra whitening power. "Funny story," he said. "I heard laughter down stairs. Are you guys playing a game?"

Oh yeah. I should probably get back down stairs. "Yeah, Monopoly. Joe's winning," I shrugged, turning around to go back down the stairs. After a few steps, I realized he was following me. Uh, when did I invite him to come downstairs with me?

"Cool. Mind if I join you guys? I know it's too late to play with you guys, but I could hang out there, too," he said, still following me as I hit the last step of the stairs and turned a corner.

Whoa. Back up. When did I say he could talk to me? When did I ever say it was okay for him to even be near me? Back upstairs, when I caught him in my room and we had the little conversation, those were the most uncomfortable two minutes of my life. It does not mean that I forgive him for what he did. It shows me that he still cares for animals, but there's no way we're on friendly terms. Anything but.

As I rounded one last corner, Miley and Joe were flirting across the living room table and they waved Nick and me over when they saw us, Nick still running his mouth as he trailed behind me. I rolled my eyes, making the smiles of my friends falter a little, but they picked up their cheeriness again once Nick started talking to them while I went to grab a bottle of water from the kitchen. When I overheard him whisper something about him and me maybe being friends again, I slammed the refrigerator door closed. That seemed to grab their attention.

"What?" I spat, not waiting for an answer. "You think that just because you fed my fish for me that everything is suddenly okay? It might have worked like that when we were in kindergarten, but not now. After what you did to me, you're lucky I talked to you at all. This was supposed to be my perfect summer and then you had to go and show up, completely ruining it. Every time you're in the room, I tense up. I can't stand you. You don't deserve to have such nice brothers and a good friend like Miley and a great place to stay at like my Grandpa's farm. You don't deserve my respect. And the only reason you deserve those adoring fans is because of your good singing voice and successful band. That's my complete and honest opinion. So what would ever give you the idea that I would actually want to give you the time of day, much less rebuild our friendship again? Nothing. It's not going to happen, so get over it," I spat.

Miley looked to be a cross between every emotion possible. Furious that I screamed at her friend. Proud that I'd finally told someone what was on my mind. Appalled that I'd blown up like that. Everything was flashing across her face, not entirely noticeable but still there. Joe's jaw was hanging open and I had a slight urge to close it. Apparently he was shocked, too.

But Nick's expression was the worst. Or, in my case, the best. He looked completely stunned that quiet little Lilly would ever do that. He thought we were building up a friendship again and his hopes were so high, then I set him straight. He looked torn between betrayal, hurt, anger, and confusion. I loved it. This wasn't complete revenge, but it was close. I was more than satisfied with myself. With one last hurt look, he walked out of the room and ran up the stairs, skipping two steps at a time.

While I smiled, Miley glared at me. Joe just looked awkward as he slowly started to put the game away piece by piece, knowing that we were done for the night. After a few minutes of silence, Miley walked up to me.

"You know, Lilly, that was rude. Really rude. I know you can't stand him and you're beyond ticked at what he did to you, but if you had just listened to what he has to say, you might have known how guilty he feels. He was just as torn up inside as you were, if not more. You did deserve an apology, but after what you just said to him, I think you better be the one making mends instead of him." She turned quickly and furiously, her wavy brown hair whipping me in the face.

And the sad thing is . . . I actually feel guilty. Since when does Miley know how to manipulate her words to make you feel terrible? She's a singer and songwriter so of course she has a fancy way with words, but this made me feel sick. My insides were all goofed up and I could only shoot Joe an apologetic smile before dashing in to the other room to think things over.

Joe stayed put and I could hear Nick trying to drown out the world with his music while Miley pounded on his door. I really wish things hadn't gotten screwed up. I wish we were back in kindergarten and all you had to do was say sorry and everything would be better. But most of all, I wish Pluto was still a planet and none of this had ever happened.

**XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO**

**Gah! I'm sorry – that's definitely not the Nilly love you were all hoping for this holiday season! But I promise you, things will get better in a few chapters! Also, if any of you have any suggestions, I'm open for ideas! Maybe I'll come up with some kind of poll that incorporates your winning votes in to the story. But for now, it will stay this way. Please review! Thanks to everyone who reviewed this story and put it on alert! I wouldn't keep writing if it weren't for all of you. Thanks. Please review for this chapter and enjoy some holiday virtual cookies! Bye!**

**Happy Holidays,  
****Parakeet17**


	5. Cat's Out of the Bag

**A/N: Hello! Gah, thanks to all of you for your reviews! I tried to respond to all of them, and I think I did, but I'm sorry if I missed one of you! This chapter is really long, but there was so much to squeeze in here! Anyways, I've waited long enough to update so I'll stop rambling and let you read the story!**

**Thanks ****to: ****bebe098****, ****peaceloveejonas****, ****Gilmorecrazed2010****, ****Italiagirl****, ****bdwy411****, ****oddball15****, and ****TopazJewel**** for reviewing!**

**XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO**

As the days went on, I only felt more and more guilty. I'll admit that in cases like these, I'm not the bigger person. I can't just take a deep breath, swallow any remaining pride I have, stroll in to his room and blurt out an apology from the bottom of my heart. I can't do that. Everyone else can, but I'm just not built that way.

But the only thing worse than seeing him every day, and being so close to saying sorry for all the harsh words said the night before, is having Nick apologize every chance he gets. In fact, if I wasn't so sorry for the way I treated him a few nights ago, I'd probably blow up at him again for saying sorry all the time when he did nothing wrong. The very first thing he'd say to me when I came downstairs in the morning is an apology followed by some greeting. The guy is too nice. If I hadn't dated him and had spent enough time around him to know that he wouldn't do such a thing, I'd think this was some twisted form of revenge. The guilt eating at my insides is going to be the death of me, I'm sure of it.

Just this morning he apologized ten times within the first hour I was awake. I mean, it's nice to know that the room isn't filled with an incredibly awkward silence the minute we're near each other, but the constant apologies were tap dancing on my last nerve. So when Nick came up to me again, I snapped. Not like the other night, but I did snap.

"Nick, it's fine. You didn't do anything wrong in the first place, so what's with the never ending apologies? I did have a nice, shout-free talk with you without feeling angry, but I'm still a bit damaged and bruised from last year to rebuild any kind of friendship just yet. But I'm sorry for yelling at you. It wasn't fair." Satisfied with my answer, I went to go feed the chickens but Nick's voice stopped me.

He sighed. "You said you were damaged and bruised, but you didn't say you were broken. I know what I did was harsh, but do you forgive me?" He sounded like he was pleading for us to be on friendly terms once more.

But what he said about his actions from last year refueled some sort of fire inside of me and my anger nearly bubbled over. "My heart was shattered before and I'm still trying to pick up the pieces. So do I forgive you? Not even close," I said softly, trying my best not to yell again. All I need is an explanation. That's it. Then maybe we can be on good terms again. But until I get one, I'm going to keep pushing him away. You can bet on that.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

I spoke too soon. Now that I put his constant apologies to an end, he had nothing to say to me. The awkward silence engulfed us once more. Miley and Joe would crack jokes or get us talking all together, but Nick and I never spared a glance at each other. If we agreed on something by some miracle, our eyes would start to skim over to each other before we caught ourselves and averted our eyes back to where they were and move on with the conversation as if nothing had ever changed.

But I could tell Nick wanted to talk to me, but I was giving him the cold shoulder, even more so than before. I'd talk to Joe about his family, but if he mentioned Nick even in the slightest, the subject would change. I think my grandpa could even sense something wasn't right between the four of us. He offered to talk to us about it, but we said no thanks and continued watching the television or eating our meals.

Eventually he managed to pin it down to a problem between Nick and I, or Miley spilled something to him, and he called Nick and I into the kitchen. "Lilly, the chickens managed to get all the way to the other side of the fruit trees. You know the area farther back where all the peach trees are? That's where they're aimlessly wandering as we speak. Could you take Addie out there and round up all the chickens?" He asked, referring to his border collie that perked up at the sound of her name and trailed over to where I stood then sat next to me. "And you might want to make it quick. I think I heard a few sprinkles of rain tapping on the windows

"Sure," I replied, happy that I could feel the warm summer air and the wind in my face as I drove the tractor, a few sprinkles of cold rain hitting me every now and then.

"But Lilly," Grandpa said just as I turned the knob on the front door, ready to round up the crazy birds. I looked at him and he continued on. "It's getting dark out and I really don't want something happening to you, so Nick," he turned to the guy standing awkwardly in the middle of the room, "could you please join her and make sure everything goes smoothly?"

"Anything for you, sir," he promised, followed by the famous thousand-watt smile.

I knew there was a catch. It was too perfect. And why else would Grandpa have called us both in to the kitchen? The man was good. He knew Nick wouldn't turn him down after letting him stay here for the month. Plus the Jonas boys are known for being incredibly polite. My grin, from the thought of being alone with my thoughts while I drove, was wiped off my face as Nick opened the front door for me and I led him to the tractor.

"Get in," I ordered, motioning to the passenger seat complete with rope seatbelts and dirt-stained seats. He did as he was told and I started it up, trying to ignore the smile on Nick's face. Why was he so happy? I wanted to punch that smug little grin off his face, but I restrained myself.

Instead of the usual uncomfortable silence, Nick decided to talk and tell me all about his six-month-long trip to Europe. The reason for all of my sadness. "So then this girl comes up to me," he laughs and I grimace, "and she gives me twice as more whipped cream on the latte than she gave Kevin and Joe, and they were the ones trying to flirt with her!"

The story brought back the memory of our break up and I fought to hold back the tears. We had lattes that day. It was such a great day and everything was going perfectly until he brought me back to his house and I saw his parents running around like crazy trying to pack suitcases.

_Flashback_

"_What are they doing?" I laughed. "Is there some important business meeting they forgot about and now they're frantically trying to get everything together in time to catch their flight?" I laughed again and took a final sip of my latte before throwing it away in a nearby trash can._

"_Actually, Lilly, I need to talk to you." He sounded serious and a grim look crossed his face not for the first time that day._

_My hands started shaking. "I need to talk to you" is related to "we need to talk," and everyone knows how that works out. I wiped my suddenly sweaty hands on my jeans nonchalantly before looking at him with fear in my eyes. There's a park near his house and we walked there in silence before sitting down on a bench. A public bench in a public park. Where people can see the look on my face when he breaks my heart. A single tear spilled over and I wiped it away with the back of my hand before Nick could see it._

"_Lilly . . . I, uh . . ." he ran a hand through his mess of curly hair nervously. My breathing had started to become shallow and I knew tears weren't far behind. "Don't get me wrong. I really like you. Like, a lot. But I just can't . . . we can't do this anymore."_

_At least he sounded sincere. Lucas and Matt didn't sound sorry in the slightest when they broke up with me. But then again, they had found someone else to be happy and play footsie with. Oh, god. He's found someone better than me, hasn't he? After all, this is California and he is a famous rock star. Teenage girls throw themselves at him on a daily basis, so of course he's found someone better and prettier and cooler and funnier than me. I should have seen the signs. He's been distant for the past month but I shrugged it off as his diabetes acting up or something._

_I stayed silent and prayed for the waterworks to stay hidden for just another couple of minutes more. When a minute went by without either one of us saying anything, Nick put his hand on mine but I pulled it back instantly. _

"_Lilly?"_

_A took a deep, shaky breath. "Why?" I asked, plain and simple. "Did you find some incredibly good looking actress to hang out with? Did I say something that hurt you or something? Why?"_

_Nick looked at me, his eyes showing regret. "The Jonas Brothers are going off on a six month European tour. I don't do long distance," he whispered quickly, shifting positions._

"_But we could make it work!" I pleaded and didn't even bother to wipe away a tear that I had fought so hard to keep hidden. "Remember when you went away for two months?" we stayed together through that! Let's face it: you and are meant to be. We can't do this to ourselves! We're meant for each other and you know it!" I'm pretty sure I sounded insane, but I had to prove Nick wrong. "We can make it work!"_

"_Lily, stop!" He sounded angry and frustrated and I shut my mouth immediately. "I just . . . can't." And then he did the worst thing he could ever have done to me. He walked away, never looking back._

_I ran home and locked myself in my room, ignoring the concerned calls from my mom. I unplugged my radio and shut off my phone, wanting to just be there in nothingness. The tears were falling freely and I turned up the music to drown out the world._

_End flashback_

I wiped away a small tear at the memory while Nick continued to tell me about the flirtatious waitress. And guess what? The coffeehouse where Nick and Joe and Kevin got these lattes was right next to, you guessed it, a park. It was too much for me to handle. The memories came pouring back and the only thing running through my mind was wondering why he didn't give an explanation.

"Get out," I said softly through clenched teeth. Addie had already jumped off the tractor and the chickens were almost back to the barn. I guess I'd stopped moving and didn't notice. And apparently Nick was too busy talking to notice too, but my words stopped him.

"What?" he asked. I wasn't quite sure if he hadn't heard me or if he was just shocked. Either way, I raised my voice and pointed to the passenger door.

"Get out." At first a smile played on his lips and then he must have realized I was serious because the smirk dropped from his face and he looked at me like he wasn't sure whether I was sane or not. "Get out," I repeated and he didn't hesitate to get out. He's faced my yelling wrath before and I really don't think he wanted to relive that. Once he was out, I slammed my foot on the gas and lurched forward quickly before leaning back and laughing a little. Who's leaving who now?

I could hear him calling my name repeatedly but I ignored him. It's like this was a minor revenge for everything he's caused me. And as I drove away, I could feel the rain drops getting faster and faster, pelting me in the face and I slowed down so I could see where I was going. I knew that a down pour of rain was coming rapidly. I punched the gas pedal with my foot and turned in to the barn, where I happily found Addie and the chickens walking around, and then ran in to the house, Addie at my heels. I had locked up the barn and it was getting dark out and the rain was pouring down. I hope he's miserable. And I hope he gets a cold. A few days full of sneezing and runny noses wouldn't do him any harm, would it?

Looking out the window, you couldn't even see Nick anymore. We were so far out when he got out of the car that he would probably be a little speck from here, but the rain stopped me from seeing the guy. When Miley and Joe asked where Nick was, I told them he was feeding the chickens in the barn and then started another board game as if I had done nothing wrong.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

"Lilly, are you sure Nick's alright? It's been fifteen minutes and you only take about five minutes to feed the chickens. Do you think he's okay?" Miley asked, rolling the dice lazily.

"Oh, he's fine. He should be walking through the door any minute," I smiled, glancing at the door to fake concern. And almost as if on cue, the door flew open and a soaking wet Nick walked in. "Speak of the devil," I said.

Miley raced up to Nick and Joe ran to get some towels for his brother. Miley was repeatedly asking Nick what happened and how he got so wet. It was still raining, but the walk from the barn was only a few feet away and there was no way he could have gotten that wet. When Joe came back, Miley started to tell him how Nick wasn't responding to anything she said. Joe was about to ask Nick a question when Nick groaned. From the time he'd walked through the door, he's been looking down, but now he snapped his head up and aimed his glare at me.

"Can I help you?" My voice was sickeningly sweet and Nick made his glare more intense.

"You!" He shouted, pointing his index finger at me. "I've been nice to you ever since I got here, and what do you do? You accuse me of snooping around in your room, give me the cold shoulder, yell at me when I try to talk to you, and now this?! I could have caught pneumonia, but you wouldn't have cared, would you?! I could jump off a bridge and break every bone in body and I'm pretty sure you'd throw a party! I've tried to be nice and I've tried to be friends with you, but this is the last straw! Anything we might have had while we were her? Forget about it," he spat, continuing to dry himself off with a towel.

At first I was in shock from his outburst, but I quickly regained my composure. The shouting had grabbed the attention of my grandpa and he was leaning against the doorframe, watching the scene unfold before him with concern written all over his face.

"Hey!" I shouted back at Nick, who surprisingly snapped his attention back to me. "You deserved it!" He was about to say something back to me, but I cut him off. "We were dating for two years and you break up with me out of the blue! Who does that? And the thing is, I had it bad for you. I thought about you all the time and you made me smile even when I just thought about you. Do you even know how much it hurt when you gave up on me to be with her?" My eyes were full of hurt and he knew who I was talking about. About a week after he broke it off, it was all over the news about Nick's latest European girlfriend. "When I saw you with her only _one week_ after you dumped me, I was shattered," my voice was soft and gentle, but I didn't forget his screaming fit. "So don't even say you didn't deserve anything I dished out! Maybe I could have forgiven you if you told me why you dumped me, but you didn't! You didn't say anything!"

Everyone stood there in silence and shock. Grandpa seemed to know it wasn't any of his business and he walked back to the television and resumed his sports game, while Joe and Miley just stood there. "I did it for you, you know," he said quietly. That was the Nick I was expecting. "I didn't want you to be tied down. What if someone else came along and you liked him better? I didn't want you to feel guilty or anything. It killed me inside to break up with you, but I did it for your sake, not mine. I honestly thought I could come here and make my apology and everything would be normal again. But I see you now, and it's a side of you I never imagined could exist. If this is the new Lilly, then I don't want anything to do with her."

I stood there, stunned. Nick grabbed another towel, tossed his old one in the laundry, and retreated up to his room. Just one look at Joe and I knew he had known Nick's plan all along. And the awkward glance he shared with Miley told me that she knew it too. At this point, it felt like everyone in the world knew. Everyone but me.

After a few minutes of uncomfortable silence, Miley looked at me apologetically. "I'm gonna go see if he's alright. You two just stay here and I'll be back soon." She turned on her heel and raced upstairs after Nick. I looked at Joe.

"I'm so sorry. I had no idea. Honestly, I thought he was just–"

Joe cut me off. "No, it's alright. I would've thought the same thing. No one blames you," he always knew just what to say. It made my mood a little lighter, but it would take some serious apologizing to get things even close to normal again.

**XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO**

**Sorry for the novel length of this chapter, but I couldn't just cut you guys off and leave you hanging! Okay, so if you can't tell, the story's heating up! And for those of you that were waiting for it, the flashback made an appearance in this chapter! And I'm sorry if there are a few errors in this chapter, but I was trying to type it up quickly so all of you could read it! Also, I know not everyone likes to review. It's a bit of a hassle and it takes a bit of time, but this might help: somewhere in this chapter is a line from a song. If you can correctly tell me what line it is, what song it's from, and who it's by, I'll write a oneshot for you or you can add some of your ideas in to the story! So, the person (or people) to get it right wins one of those two things! Ready . . . set . . . let the games begin!**

**Peace, Love, and Lyrics!  
****Parakeet17**


	6. Midnight Apologies

**A/N: I am so sorry for taking this long to post another chapter. A lot of things have happened in the last three weeks. I met a cousin I've never even heard of, updated my profile, successfully managed to solve one side of a Rubik's Cube (only five more to go . . .), studied for finals, took finals, tie-dyed three pairs of socks, started running again, typed up a few oneshots to hopefully make up for such a long wait for this chapter, and pulled more than a few muscles doing yoga in gym class. How exciting. Anyways, I've been pretty busy. And lazy. But now I'm back! I also kind of have a case of writer's block and lot interest in this story a bit, considering another story idea won't leave me alone. But I promised to myself that I wouldn't start writing it until I finish this one, just to be sure this one actually gets completed. And even through my neglect to post a chapter in three weeks, people still review. Thank you so, so much for that. You all are amazing. So, I'll end this insanely long author's note and let you read the story. Enjoy!**

**Thanks to: ****Italiagirl****, ****hoLLywOOdgrrl****, ****adryrules99****, ****Gilmorecrazed2010****, ****bdwy411****, ****peaceloveejonas****, ****bebe098****, and ****oddball15****! Your reviews made my day! And while everyone had a good guess for the lyrics, no one got it right. It was "Do you even know how much it hurt when you gave up on me to be with her?" by The Veronicas. I'm actually listening to it right now. But good try! Thanks for the reviews!**

**XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO**

I don't deal with guilt well. I mean, really, you saw how it was when Nick kept apologizing for something he didn't do. That was nothing compared to what happened tonight, and the guilt nearly ate me alive. So you can only imagine how bad I feel now.

But really, what was I supposed to believe when he suddenly broke up with me after two years, left for a European tour I didn't know they were having, and hooked up with a girl after only one week apart? What person wouldn't jump to conclusions? And, when I think about it, maybe I did overreact a bit, but he didn't explain, apologize, or try to contact me. Nothing. Miley was right. I should have let him tell me his side of the story. Gosh, what if he gets pneumonia? I swear, if that boy gets sick, I will personally make him as many bowls of chicken noodle soup that he wants.

It's one-thirty in the morning now. I've been wide awake, unable to sleep, since the argument. Joe tried to make it better, which was sweet of him, but nothing anyone said could make the knot in the pit of my stomach disappear. It was there to stay, until I did something about it.

For lack of anything better to do, I went over to my window and unlocked it. Using all of my upper body strength, which wasn't much to start with, I pried the window open after years of being shut. I wiped my hand along the ledge, getting rid of most of the dust, and sat down, being careful not to lean against the screen too hard or it would pop out and I would fall out. And that would hurt. I'd probably break more than a few bones.

Steadying myself, I peered up at the nighttime sky, begging it to tell me how to fix this mess I'd created. The storm had ended and the clouds were breaking apart. The air smelled like summer and I had an incredible urge to go run out in the field, lay down in the middle, and stare up at the stars. But I wouldn't be able to enjoy the moment if I felt like this, and I know I the feeling can't just be shaken off. Damage control needs to be done.

Still staring at the dark sky, I smiled at the clarity of the stars. You don't get a view like this in Malibu. The lights of the city were my view from my window. Well, that and Oliver's house across the street. It had come to a point where I couldn't tell the stars from the downtown lights. I couldn't tell the real from the fake. But now, everything was so much clearer.

I sat there for at least ten minutes, absorbing the serenity of it all. And as much as I loved the stars, it didn't help me in the slightest. And unless I want to stay up all night and look like a zombie in the morning, I'd better find a way to get some sleep.

Shutting my window silently, not counting the small creak, I crawled back in to bed, pulled the covers over me and held them tight, praying to get some shut-eye before sunrise. No such luck. And the thing is, I think I've known all along what I have to do. I think I've been in denial, hoping things would just fall together and this mess would clean itself up. But I know it's more complicated than that. So much more complicated.

I threw my covers back, sprang up from my bed, tossed my glasses on so I would actually be able to see, and walked to my door. Skillfully avoiding the squeaky floorboard, I tip-toed down the hall until my feet stopped directly in front of the guestroom Nick was staying in. I thought about turning back and putting it off until morning, but that wouldn't do me any good. Still, I don't want to look dead. I ran my fingers through my hair before pulling it up into a loose bun, then tugged at the hem of my pajama shirt, fixed my shorts so they weren't all twisted around, and raised my fist.

I gently rapped my knuckles on the door, waiting for an answer. I stood there, looking like an idiot, for a whole minute. I don't know why it surprised me when he didn't respond. I mean, it's two in the morning. What person in their right state of mind be up at this hour? Uh, no one.

Tapping slightly harder, I waited a few seconds before noiselessly turning the doorknob, not making a sound. If my plan fails, I totally have a future in spying. Anyways, I crept in to his room and took a seat on the end bed with one leg hanging off the side, ready to duck or make a quick escape if he chucks a pillow at my head. He shuffled around in his sleep at the sudden weight.

The room was pitch black and I could faintly make out a lumpy figure a few feet ahead of me. "Nick," I whispered, my voice sounding much louder than I thought it was. He stirred in his sleep again, and his light snoring stopped. I tapped him lightly on his leg and tried again. "Nick, come on, get up. I need to talk to you."

I heard a few groans and mumbles and words that I'm not sure were even in English, but after a few more taps on the shin, he finally came around. He sat up slowly and rubbed his eyes. Shaking his head, he looked to the left and glanced at the alarm clock and its glowing blue numbers.

"Lilly, it's two in the morning. What are you doing here?" He asked, clearly agitated. Either it was because he's been in the middle of sleeping or it was because he was still furious at me. Or maybe it was both.

"Wait, you sound a bit scratchy. Do you feel like you have a cold? Or a fever? Are you shivering, sweating, having hot flashes, sore throat, watery eyes or a stuffy or runny nose? I swear, I feel so bad about having you walk in the rain. I hope you aren't sick! I swear, if you are, tomorrow night I'll take a cold shower and stick my head in the freezer. Then we'll both be sick!"

Nick just stared at me with an odd expression on his face. But then again, his eyes might not have adjusted yet, unlike mine. The room that used to be covered in total darkness, besides the clock, now had a faint glow to it from the moon outside. I could make out things like the lamp on the bedside table that he didn't bother to turn on, knowing the light would hurt our eyes.

I could also see Nick's disheveled hair, with curls sticking out from all over the place. The gray blanket he was using was covering him, but I could still see his favorite royal blue shirt. He said he always liked the simplicity of it, and after a while, I grew to love it, too. It's weird, seeing something from when we were dating. But then again, it's weird to be in his room at two in the morning, apologizing to him.

"Lilly, is that really why you're here?" His voice was soft.

I sighed and looked own, though he probably couldn't see. "I came here . . . to apologize." I took another deep breath and played with my hands nervously. "When you packed up and left me for a long European tour and started dated some prettier girl after only a week, did you really think I wasn't going to jump to conclusions?"

"Lilly, I–"

"Hold on, Nick," I told him, laughing when I noticed what I said. "No pun intended. But, when you said it was to prevent both of us from getting broken hearts, it made sense. You broke up with me abruptly and told me you were leaving and you didn't want me to feel tied down, and you did it so that you wouldn't come home to a cheating girlfriend six months later. I get it now. And, looking back, I realize that I might have overreacted, and I'm sorry for the way I've been treating you for the past year. I'm really, really sorry."

There was silence for a long time, and I feared that my miniature speech actually put Nick to sleep. Luckily, I could still see and he, too, was fidgeting with his hands.

He ran a hand through his mop of brown curls. "Lilly, I should have explained. Instead, I just left. I guess I thought you would understand and I would spare myself the time of seeing you so upset. And I guess I just assumed that when I came back, everything would go back to how is started out when we were fifteen, just two crazy friends. I never thought that maybe you would hold a grudge. Well, I knew you did, but I was hoping this would change it."

I breathed a sigh of relief. It felt amazing to get all of this sorted out, once and for all. "You, know, Nick, my grudge is gone. And I promise, I will try my best to get it back like when we were just two crazy fifteen-year-olds. I just wish things would stop changing so much. It's like, day by day, nothing changes. But then you look back, and everything is different."

Nick smiled at me. "Everything changes, Lilly. You can't stop it. You've just got to embrace it. I need to do some change-embracing of my own."

I grinned. We were finally back on friendly terms. "Maybe that will be my goal this summer. You know, to accept the change, and maybe change a few things of my own. And if I don't like something, I'll fix it."

Nick laughed at me, and my grin broadened. "So does this mean we're friends again?" Nick asked nervously. He should have nothing to worry about. I really don't think we'll be having any more screaming sessions.

"Yeah," I put my hand out, "we're friends." Nick stuck his hand out, too, and we shook them. We didn't have some secret handshake from back when we were just friends, so it felt a bit awkward just sitting there in the cark, shaking hands. So it surprised me when Nick pulled me forward and wrapped his arms around me in a hug.

"Friends don't give awkward hand shakes, they give hugs," he explained to me, making me smile once more.

"Thanks," I told him when we pulled away and I started to stand up. "I'm really happy we smoothed things out. And I should probably get some sleep now, and so should you. I'm sorry I woke you up."

"Don't be," he said, still smiling. "It was fun. And I like seeing you wear your glasses."

I blushed at the compliment. "Good night," I whispered, opening the door and walking back in to my room. Just before I closed the door, I heard a small echo of my words. It feels so much better now that everything is sorted out.

Crawling back in to bed and taking off my glasses, I smiled. We were friends again. It would take some time before I would consider dating him again, knowing what happened last time. The past would always be there in the back of my mind, no matter how hard I tried to shove it out of my life. And I can deal with that. Things will get better, they've already started to.

**XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO**

**Voila! They made up! Yay! And I'm sorry if this seems to be going a bit quickly, but as I said before, I've got my mind on another story that I swore I would hold off on until this one was done. Besides, I'm terrible at filler chapters. Anyways, I know I don't deserve them after this long wait, but reviews are greatly appreciated! I think I responded to all of them last time, but I'm sorry if I didn't! I'll be sure to do that this time! So please drop a review and maybe tell me what you've been up to since I last heard from all of you three weeks ago. Bye!**

**Peace, Love, and Music!  
****Parakeet17**


	7. Something In The Air

**A/N: Hey everyone! I know I've been out of it lately, but writer's block has taken over me. And that's it, really. I know I make a lot of excuses, but I have plenty of time. This time, though, I'm just trying to fight off writer's block. But thanks to everyone's fantastic reviews, I'm writing this chapter. So, this is for all of you. In a way, you make me run when I don't even want to get up and walk. That's the best way I can put it, besides repeatedly telling you all how great you are like a broken record. So, I'll shut up with my ranting and let you read the story and enjoy!**

**Thanks to .Life****, ****bdwy411****, ****LINAxx****, ****morgiecorgie****, ****bbymojo****, ****peaceloveejonas****, ****bebe098****, ****Italiagirl****, ****Gilmorecrazed2010****, and oddball15 for reviewing!**

**XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO**

That could quite possibly the best sleep I've gotten in, well, a year.

We weren't back together or anything. It's not like I was going to wake up, run down the hall, burst through his door and start making out. Actually, I'm not sure I'd do that to anyone. Ever.

Anyways, last night lifted such a great weight off my shoulders, I felt lighter physically and mentally. I had held this grudge for so long, and I honestly thought I had more will-power than I apparently do. Caving that quickly wasn't like me and I even surprised myself when I was suddenly nudging Nick in the shin to wake up. It was so uncharacteristic of me that I wasn't quite sure what to think.

But if I know one thing, it's that I'm pretty happy we're on friendly terms. It will take a while before I'm ready to go out with him again, if that point ever even comes. My heart had been broken and I'd slowly but surely pieced back together again, one shattered piece at a time. I'd cleared the fog and it felt like some dreaded thunderstorm had finally passed and the rainbow peeked out, a sure sign that good things were coming. The hard times were over, for now. Things were changing for the better.

Just like a few days earlier, I woke up with the sun shining brightly through the window, the light breeze ruffling my curtains every now and then. The blue walls reflected a calming light, calming me. The peach laundry detergent smelled even better than a few days ago and I heard birds chirping outside. It was really like the skies had cleared and it was truly a brand new day.

I slid out of bed, turning my iPod player off before skipping towards the door, the extra spring in my step clearly evident. This time, I knew what was waiting for me down stairs and I was oddly at peace with it. I heard the multiple voices and the sweet smell of Grandpa's world-famous banana pancakes. Yum.

At the last few steps of the stairs, I hopped down and striked a pose for the fun of it. "Good morning!" I greeted everyone, kissing my grandfather on the cheek and ruffling Miley's hair, much to her displeasure. Grandpa, Joe, and Miley all stared at me oddly as I scooped up some fruit and a few pancakes, confusion etched in their features. I pulled up a stool at the counter right in the middle of the two teen heartthrobs and Joe cocked an eyebrow.

"Isn't somebody in a rather pleasant mood this morning," Miley said, cramming a forkful of pancakes in her mouth.

I grinned ear to ear. I was on cloud nine this morning. I guess the truth really can set you free. I stole a glance at Nick and we shared a secret smile, both cheerful at the new truce. Even when I had first came down the stairs, I caught Nate with a satisfied smile painted on his lips before he even saw me.

Joe saw the secret exchange. "What happened last night? You two seem to be on pretty good terms for being at each other's throats lass than twelve hours ago. Now you're all happy go lucky," Joe poured some more maple syrup on his pancakes. "What gives?"

"Nothing, really, Nick replied, taking a sip from his glass of orange juice, "we just had a change of heart. That's all."

I smiled. If he had said that I'd sneaked in to his room at two in the morning, Miley would have pounced on me with question after question not even bothering to pull me aside. Well, she's probably gonna pull me aside anyways to get the full story, but still.

I grabbed the syrup from Joe, drenching my pancakes in the sticky stuff. Mmm . . . can you imagine how amazing these would taste with some whipped cream on top? Oh, and chocolate syrup . . .

"Lilly!" All three of my friends shouted I shot my head up.

"Yeah? What?" I looked down to see what they were all staring at. Oops. The plate was overflowing with syrup and Miley, Joe, and Nick were all staring at me like I'd lost my mind. And maybe I had. After all, I didn't get that much sleep last night. "My bad," I said, smiling apologetically at Grandpa, who just laughed and shook his head before turning back to the newspaper. "I'll get the sponge."

After that was all cleaned up, we just sat there and ate our breakfasts peacefully for the first time in days. Joe and Miley continued to eye Nick and me skeptically, but we shrugged it off each time. I knew they would hound us for the true story eventually, but I'm keeping my lips zipped until then.

And as if that wasn't a big enough clue that something was going on, Nick wouldn't stop smiling. Like, ever. No matter what we said, a grin was on his face, and apparently it intended to stay there for the rest of the day. Fine by me. As long as we don't go back to being at each other's throats, I'm good.

I rinsed off my plate and placed it in the dishwasher before going upstairs to get ready and changed for the day. And, just as I had suspected, Miley cornered me in the hall before I even had a chance to make it to my room. I tried to walk around her and I was surprised when she let me go, but rolled my eyes when she walked close behind me.

I rolled my eyes, "Miley, what do you want?"

"The truth," she said, a small smile painted on her lips. "I know more happened than you and Nick are saying. I just want to know what," she stated, plopping herself down on my bed, staring up at me expectantly. I just looked at her, hoping she'd be the first to turn away. She wasn't.

"Fine, I'll tell you," I surrendered, sitting beside her on my bed. "Well, I felt really, really bad about what I'd said to him and the guilt was eating me alive. And if you're really my best friend, you'll know that I don't deal with guilt well. At all. So there I was, lying in my bed late at night. I knew I wouldn't be able to sleep at all, so I creeped in to Nick's room and apologies. We both said we were wrong and we said we'd try to be friends again. I told him anything more would take some time for me, but he said it was fine. Then we declared truce, shared a hug, he complimented my dorky glasses, and I left. Then I went back to my room and fell asleep."

"That's all?" Miley asked, making sure I wasn't sparing any major details. When I nodded my head, she thought about everything I said, before a grin erupted on her face. "Aww, you two really hugged?"

I smiled. "Yeah, I tried to give him a hand shake, but it was a bit awkward and he said that real friends hugged each other. So, we did." I stood up and walked over to my closet, picking out some clothes for the day. I felt like wearing purple. So, a purple tank top and white board shorts is what I chose. Just as Miley was leaving my room so I could change, Joe walked through.

"Sorry, I know you were probably going to get dressed, but Nick wanted me to tell you that he wants to talk to you." He looked at me with a grin on his face. Apparently smiles really are contagious, because lately everyone's got one. "He told me what happened last night. That's . . . fantastic."

"Why are you so happy? I mean, it must be good that your good friend and your brother aren't at each other's throats anymore, but that grin is just too wide. What gives?"

"Listen," he said, sitting on the floor in the middle of my room. If I hadn't seen him do it, I probably would have tripped on him when I went to set my clothes on my bed. "This is going to sound so incredibly corny and lame, but you should know what I think. I haven't told anyone, but I'm sure we're all thinking it."

I sat down next to him, considering he sounded serious, though the smile was still planted on his face. "Okay, spill," I ordered, leaning in to hear him.

"Honestly, after you and Nick broke up, he hasn't been the same. That smile on his face this morning at breakfast? That was the biggest I've seen it in a long time. And even though he dated other people while you two were apart, he knew no one could measure up to you. We hated the girls, my whole family did, and the only reason we didn't say anything was because he still wasn't over you. I've seen a lot of girls come and go throughout his life, but you're the only one that left a mark. And, quite frankly, I think . . . I think you're the one. I don't really believe in soul mates, but you two are meant to be together. And just like you see in all those romantic comedies, I'll be the best friend literally pulling the rug out from under you, trying to get you to fall in his arms. I know you two are perfect together. And so does everyone else."

I sat there, open mouthed, at a loss for words. Did he really feel that way? No, it can't be. "Wait, does everyone feel this way?" I stuttered, still trying to fully grasp what he had said.

"Like I said, I haven't told anyone, but I've heard them talking about it. Everyone agrees with me. I think even your grandfather can see the sparks." Joe stood up, satisfied with his confession. Dusting off his pants, he pointed to my clothes. "So, yeah, I just thought you should know. I'll let you finish getting ready, and Nick is still looking for you," he said, drumming his fingers on the doorframe for a few seconds before leaving, closing the door behind him.

I dressed myself in silence. No music playing, no weird conversations with myself, no wondering what's for lunch. I just replayed Joe's speech in my head over and over again. It was eternally stuck on repeat in my mind, and I knew it would never go away. When I was done, I walked out of my room and in to Nick's, where he was sitting on the bed, staring at something in his hands.

I rapped my knuckles on the door lightly, and he jerked his head to see who it was, smiling when his eyes landed on me. He sat the thing aside and silently motioned for me to join him on the bed. I sat down on the bed, one leg hanging over. It was a growing habit of mine. I looked at him with furrowed brows.

"So, Joe said you wanted to see me?" I fiddled my necklace around anxiously.

"Yeah, I do." Nick took a deep breath and locked his eyes with mine. His hands found their way to whatever it was he was looking at before, and he held it out in front of him. It was a black and white picture of the day we spent at the theme park. He arm was wrapped tightly around my waist and my arm was coiled around his back until our hands were intertwined. I was wearing the bracelet he'd made for me and he was wearing a homemade diabetes dog tag. I was laughing, smiling straight at the camera, and he was staring at me, his killer smile boring in to my skin.

I smiled for the hundredth time that day, running my fingers over the glass, the memory playing like I movie in my mind. "Remember that day?" he asked, still looking at me.

"Yeah, I do," I said. My eyes were starting to water and I hoped he wasn't going to throw all of our happy memories at me. If he did, he had better be prepared for the waterworks that would follow.

"That's my favorite picture of us, and one of my favorite memories. I remember we went on that one water ride and were drenched by the time the ride was over. My hair looked like a wet poodle," he laughed. I handed the picture to him and he set it on the bedside table delicately.

"So what did you want talk to me for? I have the same picture stored in my digital camera, so that can't be why you called me in here," I stopped toying around t=with the necklace and tapped my hand nervously.

"I love you," he said, not even taking the signature deep breath before you say something big like that. My breath caught in my throat. What was going on today? Something must have been in the air, because everyone was saying that Nick and I were meant to be.

I must have looked like a deer caught in the headlights, because he quickly regained his composure and started talking again. "I honestly don't think I ever stopped. And, I know we said we were just going to stay friends, but I want to be so much more than that, Lilly. I know you might not feel the same way now, but you will. I won't stop trying to make you mine again, I can promise you that. I'll give anything but up. We'll be together again by the end of this summer, I can feel it."

For the second time in an hour, I was speechless. First Miley was ogling over the take I had with Nick, then Joe said Nick and I were a perfect match, and now even Nick was trying to win me back? Seriously, is there something in the water that's making everyone act this way?

"You too? Oh, wow, today is just not my day," I breathed, standing up and heading towards the door, where I'm sure Joe and Miley had their ears pressed to the up against it.

"Stop!" he said, and I jumped. "Sorry, didn't mean to scare you, I just have to ask you something." I crossed my arms and tapped my foot, waiting for him to continue. "If you're really over me," he looked at my chest, "then why are you wearing the necklace I gave you on our one year anniversary?"

I looked down and saw the heart shaped necklace I'd stumbled upon in my room just before we'd left for this place. The little red gem was still propped up in the corner, and realization dawned on me. The little necklace collecting dust in some random box was actually a box of things Nick had given me. And, it turns out, this was another thing I hadn't returned. And as much as it pained me that this was yet another reminder of what could have been, I couldn't part from it. I had a connection to it, and I didn't want to lose that.

"Wait, you gave this to me?" I held it in my hand, my fingers tracing the small silver heart. "I just found it in my closet the day we drove up here and liked it, so I put it on," I told him, not mentioning that I hadn't taken it off since. "It's really nice and, now that I think about it, I remember the day you gave it to me." I looked at him, and I saw some sadness in his eyes. He was probably hoping for a different answer. "But thanks again, it's beautiful. I love it," I said, before turning to the door again, reaching for the handle.

"Lilly," he said, his voice much quieter. He grabbed my hand, and I could feel his calloused fingertips on my skin, rough from years of playing the guitar. "I meant what I said. I really do love you, and I'll do anything it takes to win you over."

Then he let go of my hand, opened the door for me, and laid back on his bed, facing the ceiling. And after what had just happened, I wanted to think, too. I wanted to sort my thoughts and feelings, and figure out if Joe and Nick really meant what they told me. I turned the corner, not surprised to find that Joe and Miley had fled the scene, making it seem as if they hadn't listened to every word of the conversation I'd just had.

But most of all, out of everything I wanted to do, there was one thing in particular. I wanted to shake this feeling. It was small, but the idea of it scared me. It was the worst thing that could have happened to me right now. My stomach was in knots, and I walked in my room and sat against the wall. I hated to admit it, but it was that truth.

When Nick touched me, butterflies erupted in my stomach and I felt sparks the moment his hand touched mine.

Oh, crap. I was falling for him again.

**XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO**

**Sorry for the insanely long wait! No, really, I am. I tried to make this chapter extra fluffy just for you guys. It's also longer than most chapters, so I hope that makes up for everything, though I know it doesn't even come close. Writer's block has taken over, but I want to continue the story, I really do. Don't forget to virtually slap me upside the head next time I take this long to update! Seriously, do it! Also, I'm open for ideas, if any of you have them. This chapter's probably loaded with grammar errors, considering I only skimmed through it in an attempt to get this out quicker. And I'm sorry if it seemed like Lily forgave Nick too quickly, and I'm sorry if the story seems to be moving too slowly or quickly, but writer's block sucks, so I try to get things done well, the way I want them to. So I'll stop my rambling here and let you guys lash out on me for taking so long. Have fun!**

**Parakeet17**

**PS: Don't forget to leave a review! You're all incredibly amazing!**


	8. Little Wonders

**A/N: So, I'll start off by telling you all how incredibly lame my computer is being. It's all messed up and won't let me see any reviews I've gotten. I got them when they were sent and I have all of them, but I was too busy to reply. And now that I have some time, my computer won't let me. Lame. So thanks to all my reviewers! I'm not sure who you all are, but thanks! Anyways, I tried my best to get this out on time! I had the chapter typed out and everything . . . then my computer had to go and be double-lame. Seriously, every time you'd try to get on, it would just shut down, so I'm sorry that this is two weeks later than I wanted it to be! Thanks for reading and sticking with me! Woo! So I'll shut up now, and let you read. Enjoy!**

**XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO**

"He said _what_?!" Miley squealed. So much for keeping her voice down so the guys wouldn't know we were talking about them. But it turns out I was wrong when I'd assumed that Joe and Miley and their ears glues to the door when Nick and I were talking the day before. Who knew?

"Shh!" I held my finger up and shot a nervous glance down the hall. No sign of them yet. "Miley, please! Remember when I said I didn't want them to hear? Yeah, well, you're throwing that plan out the window with those screams." Like a little girl who just found out a secret, she giggled and quieted down quickly. "Thank you."

She smiled again. "But did he seriously say all of that?" I nodded my head and she flailed her arms around happily. "Oh, Lilly, that's so great! I knew it! I just knew it! I _knew_ you two would get back together. You were meant to be."

"Why does everyone keep saying that?! I asked, exasperated. I flopped backwards on my bed and stared up at the glow in the dark starts and butterflies covering the white paint. I propped myself up on my elbows and glared at Miley. "So you're telling me that we have one of those fairytale love stories every little girl dreams of after watching Cinderella? We're the couple you root for throughout the whole chick flick? You see sparks fly when we're together? We're like the last episode of Sabrina the Teenage Witch where you see Sabrina's and Harvey's half rocks matching together perfectly? You see us as the old couple feeding birds? You see us as the two crazy kids walking through the sand, hand in hand? The one that kids shudder at and adults reminisce of when they had the same kind of relationship as us? You see me walking down an aisle in a white dress with Nick waiting at the end?"

I sat there, waiting for her answer. She looked sheepish and it was then that I saw Joe standing in the door way and I knew he'd heard every word I'd just said. Miley darted her eyes from one object to another and finally spotted Joe, pleading for some help.

"Lilly, I hate to break this to you, but . . ." she shot another glance at Joe, ". . . we do. We honestly do. When you two were together, nobody thought it would end the way it did. No one was expecting it. No one."

The thought made me smile. But when I realized Joe and Miley were watching, I let my arms fall to my side as I fell back on to the bed, groaning in the process. I wouldn't let them have the satisfaction of knowing that I missed those days. I wouldn't let them have the satisfaction of knowing that I wanted that kind of love again.

"Whatever," I groaned, turning over on my stomach, coming face to face with Toast. "Just call me when dinner's ready," I yelled to Miley and Joe as they left the room, closing the door behind them.

I looked at Toast in his big, black eyes, "You're so lucky you aren't a teenage girl."

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

"This is amazing, Grandpa! I love your taco salad. I'm not sure you realize how much I missed it," I complimented, stuffing yet another forkful in my mouth, frowning when I saw the plate was empty again. I reached for the big bowl of salad, scooping another pile of the food on my plate.

"Lilly," my grandpa laughed, "that's your fourth helping. You might want to slow it down before you get a stomach ache."

"Eh," I grunted, shrugging his comment off to the side. Maybe I'll regret it ten minutes from now when my pants will be too small and I'll have to wear my sweatpants, but that isn't for a while. I can still eat two more platefuls before that happens. I better enjoy it while I can.

Everyone was watching me as I shoveled the food in my mouth like there was no tomorrow, but I can't help it. I'm hungry. They were scooping raspberry sherbet in to bowls for everyone when my Grandpa looked at me pointedly.

He didn't even have to say anything. "I know, I'll go feed the horses and chickens after this. Addie will come so she can get some exercise and you can watch your cop show in peace," I recited as if I was reading it off of a script in a monotonous voice.

"Oh, can I come?" Miley asked. "I haven't been around horses in so long, this would make me a little less homesick from Tennessee." I nodded. When Joe got the look in his eyes of a little kid being left out, I smiled.

"Everyone can come, if that's what you really want. But please, let me finish my taco salad. Not to mention the dessert afterwards." I eyed them all sheepishly. "This could take some time."

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

About an hour later, we all were standing in the middle of the old barn, admiring the multiple horses my grandfather owned. "This," I rubbed the neck of a horse directly to my right, "is Delilah. You can tell by the flower shaped brown spot on the top of her head."

"Oh, is that why you named her Delilah? Because her spot looks like a flower?" Joe questioned, petting the tan animal gently.

"Nope," I smiled. "The song Hey There Delilah just wouldn't get out of my head." Miley laughed, Nick rolled his eyes jokingly, and Joe just shook his head at my song obsession. "But because you've taken such a liking to her," Joe snapped his head up when he realized I was talking to him, "you can ride her."

"Wh-what?" he stuttered. I grabbed a saddle off of a metal peg that was attached to the wall and shoved it in his arms. He almost fell over at the sudden and unexpected added weight and I laughed. I tossed more saddles to Nick and Miley and assigned them each a horse.

Once everything was securely strapped on tightly, we walked the horses out in to the open land, and I laughed at Nick and Joe's attempts to get on the horse. Miley showed Joe how to properly get on the horse and I showed Nick, each swinging our legs over our horses effortlessly when we were done.

We started out slow, making sure the teen heartthrobs managed to balance themselves, before picking up speed. After a few minutes of staying together, Miley went off to the side and chased Joe around in circles. Does that girl ever stop flirting with him?

Knowing where I was going, I sped up. Not surprised to hear the thump of Nick's horse's hooves hitting the ground right behind me, I continued riding for at least five minutes, before slowing to a stop at a nearby hill. The grass was green and I loosely tied my horse to a tree so he could graze in the grass, before letting my knees give in beneath me, falling to the ground peacefully.

The sun was just beginning to set, so no starts were visible, but I still adored the view. Hugging my legs to my chest, I didn't care if I would go blind from staring at the sun. I wanted this moment of serenity to last forever. I heard Nick sit next to me, and I lightly acknowledged him with a small grunt. After a few minutes of sun-gazing in silence, he turned to me.

"You know, I mean what I said." He didn't sound nervous about telling me how he felt, and that surprised me. We both have a tendency to keep our feelings to ourselves. I turned to him, regretting it when I got lost in his chocolate brown eyes. "I really do love you, Lilly. It was a huge mistake of me to break up with you. I want you back."

Two weeks ago, I would have gagged at the scene that was currently unfolding before my eyes. Nick and I were having a civil conversation. We were sitting on my favorite hill, together, watching the sunset. Just like those cheesy romance movies I was talking to Miley and Joe about earlier. I liked it. I liked him. I turned to him and said something a first grader would say, but I didn't mind. I meant it. "Prove it."

He smirked at me, and I tried to keep my insides from going all warm and fuzzy on me. "I know your favorite color changes almost everyday. I know orange sherbet is your favorite. I know you've doubled as Hannah Montana's right hand girl, Lola Luftnagle, for five years. I know Oliver is one of your favorite people on the face of the earth. I know you have an insane addiction to chocolate. I know –"

"I get it, Nick. You know a lot about me. But a stalker could figure those things out. Do you _really _know me?" If I'm going to give someone my heart, especially after they shattered it just a year ago, I have to know it's real. None of this phony, hormonal take-over type crushes.

He sighed. "Like the back of my hand." There's that signature smirk again.

"I know that your parents divorce was really hard on you. You didn't make any kind of contact with your stepmom for months after she married your dad. I know that sometimes you turn up your radio just to drown out the world. I know that you just want someone to be with. You couldn't care less if you had a huge, extravagant wedding or if you just drove down to Las Vegas and had an Elvis impersonator marry you. I know that your favorite song will say more about you than your mouth ever will. I know that sometimes you feel like life really sucks, and you make playlists to every mood you have. I know that when you're upset, you make chocolate chip muffins and your bangs cover your right eye and you don't bother to move them. I know that you thought high school was amazing, and you just want to fly away to Neverland with Peter Pan and stay a kid for as long as possible. Your smile lights up your eyes when you're happy. Your friends and family mean the world to you. You've wanted to travel the world ever since your aunt brought back a snow globe from Japan when you were little. Your main goal in life is to live."

I stared at him, open mouthed. I didn't even notice some of these things, and yet he managed to catch every little detail of my life perfectly. And thinking about it, I could tell him all the fine points of his life. It would take me an eternity to list off all of his best qualities and what makes him truly flawless, but that was okay. He understood me. He had broken my heart in a matter of minutes and now I was giving it back to him in the same amount of time. I was falling even harder than before.

"I, uh, that was, uh, that was . . ." I fumbled with my words, trying to capture exactly how I felt at that moment.

Nick beamed. He knew he'd beaten me at my own game. He knew he had left his mark on my heart and he knew how I was feeling. With his smile still plastered on, he stood up and held out his hand for me. "Come on, it's getting dark. We might want to get back before your grandpa worries to much."

I grabbed his hand and let him pull me up. I was in a daze. Miley and Joe were right. We were the fairytale couple. I was the Cinderella with the broken life, and he was the price with the superglue to make everything better. We were that old couple sitting on a park bench. I swear, if it was darker out, you could see the sparks on my skin every time he touched me. We were the romantic comedy with the happy ending you always expect, but root for the whole way through. We would go through our bad times, but it would all work out in the end. I wasn't even twenty and I had found the person I wanted to spend the rest of my life with.

Just as I was realizing how incredibly romantically corny all this was, I suddenly felt the wind on my face. When did I get on my horse? We were riding and, to get everything off my mind for even just a moment, I dared Nick to a race. He accepted. I sped forward at an incredible speed and he followed, doing an amazing job for someone with no prior riding experience.

I whizzed past Joe and Miley, who were still in the middle of their flirt fest, when I could see the kitchen lights shining through the window of the house. The barn was only a few hundred meters away and I would win the race.

That is, until my horse saw a mouse.

Just like in all the Hollywood movies, my horse stood up on his hind legs immediately, throwing me off. He plopped back down and ran into the barn as I lay there, clutching my wrist to my chest. Tears had started to run down my face and I was taking short breaths. Was falling on your wrist supposed to hurt this much?

Suddenly Miley was right at my side. She had gotten there quicker, do to her horse-riding capabilities. "Lilly! Lilly, are you alright?" One look at my face and she had her answer.

"Oh my god, Lilly, are you okay?"

I was bombarded with questions, but it felt like forever until someone noticed my limp wrist. It hurt too much to keep it upright, and when Joe tried to see if it was injured by tapping it lightly, I let out a scream.

Then, as it does in all dramatic books and movies, everything went black.

**XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO**

**Cliff hanger! Haha, I bet you didn't see that one coming. Hey, why do all of my stories have some kind of injury in them? I just noticed that. Anyways, I am so, incredibly sorry for the wait! My dad **_**just**_** fixed the computer, so I'm posting it now! Sorry I didn't respond to any reviews (due to my lame computer) but I'll try my very best to get back to all of you if you review this chapter! Thanks! It means a lot to me! And also, thanks for sticking with the story through this! I'll work my hardest to have another chapter posted by the weekend!**

**Parakeet17**


	9. Status Change

**A/N: Hey! After many incredibly long waits, I swore to myself that I'd post this on time. And, unfortunately, I failed. Insert multiple apologies here. But at least I didn't abandon the story! But still, sorry about the extra week-long wait. So anyways, thanks for all of the amazing reviews! Seriously, you guys are fabulous. I'm not sure you realize just how awesome you truly are. But, I'll stop with my rambling and let you read the story! Enjoy!**

**XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO**

I was right. I broke my wrist.

Once I snapped out of my little doze, we were in the car on the way to the hospital. The whole way there, Miley asked me questions about what specifically hurt and had me wiggle my fingers to see if any damage was done. When I tried to move and part of my lower arm, a searing pain shot up my arm. Joe pulled up along the curb at the hospital and had us climb out before he went to hunt down a parking spot.

Miley helped me walk in to the hospital, supporting my wrist so it didn't make matters worse. And, I discovered that if you think about random things like puppies, then the pain only feels like a continuous pinch in your arm. I also learned that high school students working at the hospital as a summer intern only leads to frustration.

"Hey, can we see a doctor? I think she broke her wrist," Nick explained to the girl, and I winced when he poked my arm. Screw the butterflies, the pain is a lot worse. The girl rolled her eyes without even sparing a glance in our direction, and handed us a green plastic clipboard with a pen attached by a string. After a few minutes of lazily searching for the right papers to be filled out, I started tapping my foot agitatedly. Apparently she didn't like that.

"Would you cool your jets? I'm going as fast as I . . . oh my god, you're Nick Jonas!" I glanced up and Nick had a look of frustration etched on his face. "Your last CD was brilliant!" she chimed, scrambling now for the right papers. Anything to make the celebrity happy, I guess. Once she had all the right forms and sheets, Miley snatched them out of her hand just as Joe came through the door.

Miley and I frantically signaled him to stay away. Either he obeys, or he gets pummeled by the hormonal teenage girl. Thankfully, he spotted Nick forcing a smile at the girl as he signed numerous items with what looked to be the girl's pink permanent marker. I should have known. Joe and Miley took turns asking and answering my questions for me, considering I'm right handed and I fell on my right wrist, making me unable to write.

With the pain, it felt like forever until the papers were submitted and a doctor came in to check on me. But he eventually did. Miley, being my best friend, came in the room with me as we did tests and recounted what exactly happened. Not too long after, he took an x-ray of my arm and found out that it was broken.

I hate to say it, but I told him so.

But he was really nice about it, which makes up for everything. A needle full of morphine punctured my skin and I tried my best not to wince at the shot. I've never been good with needles. Then he showed me all the different cast colors before I finally settled on something that would stand out. Suddenly he was wrapping things around my wrist and lower arm while a nurse stood nearby and supervised. They sealed the cast, told me not to get it wet, and went over a ton of other basic rules that I already had to hear when my mom broke her ankle. What can I say? We Truscott girls are hopelessly uncoordinated.

Like a little five year old, I asked for a sucker when he was done, and he even gave me a complimentary sticker for being so good. Does he know I'm eighteen? Whatever. I still loved it. When everything was done, he told me to be more careful and I walked out of the room, down a series of hallways, and through multiple doors before arriving at the waiting room, where Nick and Joe pounced on me the second I entered the room.

We signed a few more papers and junk before Joe brought the car around for us. Joe and Nick asked me questions about what happened, and why I chose a bright orange cast. "Hey, if you're gonna break a bone, you might as well let it heal in style," I told them, shrugging.

It was late when we pulled up at Grandpa's house, and I sighed when I saw the kitchen light was still shining through the window. Of course he would stay awake to see if I'm alright. Nick heard my sigh and turned to me.

"We called him and told him everything was fine, but he refused to go to bed. He said he felt guilty that he asked you to take care of the horses and this happened, even though I explained many times that you challenged me to a race and the horse just spazzed out."

"Sounds like him," I half-heartedly smiled. I was tired and, at his age, he probably was, too. I climbed out of the car and walked inside, laughing at my snoozing grandfather. I watched him for a while and everyone thought it was sweet that he tried to wait up for me. "Grandpa," I said softly, nudging him a little.

"What? Oh, I'm up! I'm up!" I stifled a giggle at his reaction, as did my friends. When his eyes finally rested on me, he smiled. "Lilly Pad, are you alright?" He asked with concern written all across his face.

I raised my wrist just high enough for him to see, and he gasped, lightly grabbing the bright cast to examine it closely. "I'm a bit bruised and broken, but I'll be fine. I _am_ fine. I promise. So don't go beating yourself up about what happened. You can't help it that a little field mouse ran in front of my horse and made her freak out." He still looked skeptical. "Grandpa, I swear I'm okay. I don't even feel anything anymore."

He smiled at me. "I knew you could handle it. You've always been a little trooper. Like that time you were running around in your diaper and ran into the corner of the wall. You had to get seven stitches!"

I blushed. And that, my friends, is why should never let your crush stand around long enough to hear all the embarrassing stories from when you were little. "Come on Grandpa," I said, still resembling a tomato. "I think it's about time you went to bed." I lifted the weary man up, with the help of Nick. Wow. It takes skill to honestly be helpful _and _suck up to a girl's family at the same time. That's true talent right there.

Once we got him in bed and turned out the lights, we all went our separate ways to go to bed, only meeting up in the bathroom to brush our teeth or wash our faces. My thoughts raced through the day, pausing on how great of a friend Miley is, how unimaginably perfect Nick and I go together, and how cute the doctor was that gave me that shot of morphine. Which led me to what I thought of Joe. I mean, of course he's one of my best friends. He's like Oliver. I think of him as a brother. He'll groan and complain when I talk about girl things with him, but he's always there for me when I need him. And I know all of that. But does he?

Ironically, he walked in to my room about a half hour after everyone else had fallen asleep. "Couldn't sleep," he told me. "I peeked in everyone else's rooms before I saw your light on. After a day like today, I would have thought you'd be in somewhat of a coma."

I laughed and patted the spot next to me, so he climbed in right beside me and we gazed at the glow in the dark stars in silence for a few minutes. "I love you, Joe," I said, and he looked at me. He looked like a deer caught in the head lights.

"Uh, Lilly, I hate to break it to you, but I kinda have this thing for Miley, and—"

"No, not like that, you dork," I interrupted, slightly embarrassed at how uncomfortable I'd made him. "I mean, I just wanted you to know that, even after everything that's happened in the last year, you're still like a brother to me. I know we didn't talk much while Nick and I were . . . well, you know, but thanks for always being there. Thanks for everything."

He leaned over and gave me a long hug, his arms rubbing my back like I was doing to him. "No problem, Lilly. Thank you, too. You're like the sister I never had. But you dating Nick doesn't seem like some twisted incest thing to me. I think it's great you two are finally on the right track again."

I smiled. "Thanks. But, if you don't mind, could you just tell me one thing? I mean, you don't have to if you don't want . . . but does he really want be back as bad as he says he does? I just . . . don't want to be hurt again. I really don't think he knows just how empty I was until this summer."

"Honestly, Lilly?" Joe sighed and rubbed his eyes, and I was fearful of the answer that would follow. "I never told anyone, but that day that he broke up with you? He came home and wasn't himself. He _hasn't_ been himself since this summer. You mean the world to him, and he means what he says."

I smiled.

"And if you don't mind saying anything . . ." Joe flushed and I immediately knew where he was steering the conversation.

"She's in to you, I promise." A huge smile spread across Joe's face, and I was glad that it made him so happy. "If you really want to win her over," I continued, and Joe's ears perked up, listening attentively now, "give her flowers. She's a sucker for all of those corny, cliché things, and she loves dandelions. And, being the southern girl she is, loves a country guy. And I know you aren't country, but she has a thing for guys who can cook," I told him honestly.

"Flowers, country, food . . . I think I got it all. Wait, did you say she likes _dandelions_? As in, the yellow weed that pops up in everyone's yard during the summer?" He looked confused.

"Those are the ones," I say, smiling. "Miley thinks it's mean when everyone kills them just because they're weeds. She actually thinks they're really pretty." I yawned, not bothering to try and fight it off.

"Oh, sorry I'm keeping you up. I'll just go now," Joe whispered, sliding off the bed, and walking out the door. "Thanks, Lilly, You're amazing."

"Back at ya," I smiled, my head colliding with the soft pillow beneath me. Despite my broken wrist, it feels like everything is finally fixed and all the damage that was done has been put in the past for good. I closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep instantly.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

The next morning, I was pleasantly surprised to find a note waiting for me on my bedside table, accompanied by a small white daisy. I sat up, admired the neat penmanship on the front, and opened it, reading each sentence twice over even after I was done. Climbing out of bed, I didn't bother to grab a fistful of cereal on my way out. I just strolled out to the tire swing, realizing too late that I'd been too excited to change out of my pajamas. Eh, if he really loves me, he'll think I look great in a worn out shirt and some old basketball shorts.

"You wanted to see me?" I asked, sitting on the ground and probably staining my shorts with dirt.

"Yeah, I just wanted to ask you something." If we weren't so young, I would've thought he was proposing, judging by the serious yet happily boyish look on his face. "How do I put this? I mean, I've been thinking about it for a while, but now I'm drawing a blank."

"Just spit it out," I ordered, laughing at his brief argument with himself.

"Here, uh, let me try this," he took a deep breath and I rolled my eyes. What was with this boy and the dramatics? "I'm willing to change my Facebook status if you are."

I didn't need him to say it twice for me to understand. "Of course, you dork."

I wasn't even taken off guard when he leaned down and kissed me square on the lips, in full view of my grandfather, Miley, and Joe gaping at us through the sliding glass door. We went together perfectly, like peanut butter and jelly. I guess I wanted this more than I thought. When we were done, we were both beaming from ear to ear.

We were no longer as opposite as toothpaste and orange juice. Nick is like the final puzzle piece to me, and after a year of it being gone, it felt amazing to have it back again.

**XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO**

**Aww. That was adorable. Funny thing is, I totally didn't even plan on that happening. It just kind of did. And I'm sorry if my medical things aren't all correct! I was four when I broke my wrist, so the details are a bit more than fuzzy to me. But anywho, please leave a review! All of you are fantastic. Seriously, you guys are the reason why I keep writing. No joke. So thanks to all of you! Please review! Ha, that rhymed.**

**Peace, Love, and Cheesy Romantic Comedies!**

**Parakeet17**


	10. Falling Together

**A/N: Hey! Oh, sorry about the wait again. I know a lot of you were wondering if that was the end. I mean, I guess it **_**could**_** be the end, but I have a plan. And I like it, so I'm sticking with it. And thank you to al of my lovely reviewers! Not as many reviews as I had hoped for, ****but I loved them all. I'll take what I can get and be happy with it. A special thanks to ****-xXAndreaVampXx-**** for reading and reviewing **_**all**_** of my stories and oneshots! Also, there are only about three chapters left, if things play out as planned, so we're nearing the end! So enjoy the chapter!**

**XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO**

It's the middle of the day and I'm leaning against a tree, my head resting against my new boyfriend's shoulder as he rubbed my arm with his thumb gently. We weren't saying a word to each other, but for a different reason than what it has been for the last year. This time, we're simply enjoying each other's company, ecstatic to be a couple again. I was still wearing my pajamas, but I was too lazy to move, and I didn't want to, either. Right here with him, everything just felt right. It sounds so incredibly cliché, but I don't have the energy to care. He really was the cheese to my macaroni.

I turned to face him, a smile automatically finding its way on my face. "Hey, we should catch up. You know, talk about everything that's happened with us the last year. I missed you so much," I confessed. He smiles too, and I nearly melt. And to think I thought I'd never feel that way again.

"Yeah, that sounds good." His voice gives me butterflies. I remember when I was younger, I always swore to myself that I'd never become one of those love-sick girls who'd give anything just to be with him. But then he came along and, honestly, all of those thoughts disappeared. I'm not saying he's the reason for my existence or I'd die without him, but I don't know what would happen if he left me again, but for good. The damage would be beyond repair.

"Let me just go change in to something a bit more . . . suitable for a walk," I said, laughing at my wrinkled clothes. He said he's grab a quick drink while I got changed and then we'd be off.

I was beaming when I got to my room, and the sight in front of my eyes only helped that smile grow.

"Miley, what are you doing?" Clothes were scattered all across the room, hanging off of mirrors, lamps, drawers, and lying in possible outfits on my bedspread. Miley was shuffling through my closet, yanking clothes off of their rightful hangers, glancing at them for a few seconds as she debated on whether or not it would be a good outfit, before merely chucking it to the side, already examining the next thing.

"Lilly!" She sprinted over to me, grabbed my wrist with an iron grip, and shoved me in the black hole that is now my closet. "Help me," she pleaded. "Joe just told me to meet him in ten minutes, and I have no idea what to wear. I think he might ask me out and if he does, I want to look stunning."

"Is there a reason why you decided to raid my closet instead of your own?" I asked, picking up possible candidates to make up Miley's outfit.

"I know what I brought with me, and none of it is good enough!" She made it sound like common knowledge, something even a toddler would know. Apparently I didn't.

I laughed at her frantic expression as she continued to rifle through my outfits. "First off, think about it. This is Joe we're talking about. He's smitten by you. Heck, you could show up dressed as a clown and he'd still adore you, got it?" That made Miley blush, and she seemed slightly calmer. "And let's think, if this is some kind of date, on a farm in the middle of nowhere none the less, do you really want to be sitting in an uncomfortable dress?" That left jeans and t-shirts, with a few nice blouses scattered in the mix.

I pointed to the t-shirt Miley had unintentionally built in her craze, and she sorted through them. "Lately I like the color red," she mumbled, examining an old shirt of mine. "Can I borrow this?" she asked, clutching the shirt to her chest.

"You can have it if you want, I don't care. I haven't worn that shirt in years," I told her and she squealed with happiness, grabbing a pair of jean shorts and racing in to the bathroom to get ready.

Rolling my eyes, I carefully tip-toed my way through the mountains of clothes until I found what I was looking for. It was just some yellow shirt that Nick had given me, but I adored it, now more than ever. Once that was on, I slipped on my necklace, did my hair and make-up, then walked out of my room just as Miley skipped out of the bathroom.

"Good luck," I told her, noticing her lucky bracelet secured around her tiny wrist.

"Thanks," she blushed. "And have fun with Nick! I'm so happy you two are together again!"

We linked arms and strutted down stairs, Miley letting me go and shooting me a wink when she spotted Nick. I was just about to suggest to Nick that we start walking because I was so anxious to fill the gap when we were apart with something good to remember. Just as I turned to him, he pointed to Miley who was walking out the door, and then he shifted his eyes to a fidgety Joe, sitting at a cloth-covered card table decorated with country-style food, dandelions, and paper plates and cups, filled to the brim with lemonade. The boy knows how to impress a girl.

We didn't even have to say anything to each other to know that we both wanted a closer look. Walking over to a nearby window not too far from them, Nick unlatched it and pried it open as the girl in me admired his muscles. We leaned against the wall, listening in like any good, nosy friend would do.

For fifteen minutes we sat there as they made small to talk to each other, blushing when they got to the topic of mine and Nick's rekindled relationship. Nick and I were on the verge of giving up when Joe suddenly went quiet, followed by the sound of nervous stuttering. This is it. This is what we've been waiting for. We unintentionally leaned in when their voices became softer. The suspense of what was actually happening got the better of us and we peered out the window just in time to see Joe nervously ask Miley if she'd be his girlfriend, and Miley shake her head yes. I laughed when Joe stood up, walked over to Miley, and gave her a peck on the cheek. They are too adorable.

"Now that we've spied on them long enough to find out what happened, wanna go on that walk we were talking about?" Nick asked, standing up and holding out his hand.

I grabbed it and he helped hoist me up. "I'd love to."

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

It felt like one of those cheesy Hollywood movies where the guy gets the girl in the end and everyone gets their own Happily Ever After. And in a way, it was. Nick and I strolled the hills of my grandfather's farm, our hands intertwined as we relived all the memories of the last few years, even recalling the times when Nick and I first started going out.

We laughed, awkwardly talked our way through the bad stories, and acted like love-sick teenagers as we stopped ever ten minutes or so to give each other a hug and a quick peck on the lips. Honestly, this feels like more than one of those innocent summer romances or high school sweethearts that never last. There's a spark between us, and I doubt it will ever burn out. And though I'm sure Nick felt the same way, I didn't want to tell him that and freak him out. Besides, I don't think he'd be able to handle it if I told him that I agree with what Miley and Joe had been saying from the very start. We were mean to be.

But for now, I'm only eighteen. I've got the rest of my life to think about this. So instead, I just looked up at Nick and smiled.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

One of the best things about the small town my Grandpa lives by is the downtown area. It's like all the movies where everyone knows everybody's name. There's enough to get by – a gas station, a small grocery store, a drugstore, and other small town businesses – and then there was the thing I love most. The bowling alley.

It seems to out of place in this town, but I adore it. It only has seven lanes and really crappy bumpers, but I love the place. We walked in, rented some bowling shoes and slid them on after thoroughly coating them with disinfectant. We put the bumpers up because I was forced to bowl with my left had due to the neon cast protecting my wrist.

We each picked our own different colored bowling balls and laughed when one of us would trip on the slippery floors. The owners put on the black lights and disco balls on just for us and served us some nachos and French fries half off. It's good to have the owner be your grandfather's best friend. And let's face it, no matter how old you are, you love the incredibly unhealthy food and the way white clothes glow in the black light.

In the end, it surprised us all when Miley won, considering she had no idea what she was doing. I was last, even with the added help of the bumpers, but that's alright. I'm not looking for a trophy or medal. I just want some incredible memories of this summer. Throughout the last few weeks, I stuffed my digital camera with goofy and pointless photos, ready to be developed and placed in my scrapbook.

No matter how scratchy things were when I first arrived here, I'm not sure I would change a single second of any of it. The fighting only brought me and Nick closer together, and with the bankruptcy stranding both Joe and Nick, even Miley managed to snag a guy this summer. Everything panned out perfectly and I couldn't be happier.

We were laughing and singing along with the songs blaring from the radio as we drove home, ready to settle down for the night. But when we pulled in, something was off. I couldn't put my finger on it, but something wasn't right. There wasn't a storm coming and all the animals and tractors were in their rightful places. Grandpa's kitchen light was on, which wasn't out of the ordinary, so what could it be?

"Hey, why is our manager's car here?" Joe asked, solving my mystery. We parked and petted Addie as she came running through the yard to greet us. When we got inside, Kevin and the manager were sitting at the kitchen table, cups of coffee in hand, speaking in soft tones and cracking chokes with my grandpa.

"What's going on?" Nick demanded to know, pulling me close to him defensively, Joe doing the same to Miley.

The manager stood up excitedly and spread his arms out wide. "Congratulations, boys! You're going home!"

Crap.

**XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO**

**I hate to do it, I really do, but everything was going too smoothly. We need to have some sort of slightly angsty climax in a story like this, don't we? We do. And for this one, that's the money coming back in to their lives just as Nick gets Lilly back in his. It may not seem like a big deal now, but next chapter will elaborate on things a bit. Anyways, please review! I posted kind of on time, gave you lots of Moe and Nilly fluff, and responded to all the reviews from last chapter! Thanks! I love you guys!**

**Parakeet17**


	11. Whiplash

**A/N: SO INCREDIBLY SORRY for the long wait. Funny thing is that I actually started writing this chapter the same day as I posted the last chapter. But then teachers decided to surprise us with lovely tests and projects. Joy. So I know I could have done it in my spare time, but I'm a procrastinator . . . anyways, thanks for all the wonderful reviews! You're all amazing, as always. Right now I probably should be sprinting on a treadmill after the amount of butter on that popcorn not too long ago, but this is more fun. So if I become insanely overweight, it's all your fault! Nah, just kidding. Enjoy the chapter!**

**XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO**

"Congratulations, boys! You're going home!"

Why? That's the only thought running through my mind. Why? Just as I was at the top of the world, why did this have to happen and bring me crashing down?

"What?" Joe said after a few moments of awkward silence. "What do you mean? Like, is the money back? Did you fix the problem, or are we just starting over? And what do you mean by home? Another tour in a foreign country or do we get some time off? Just . . . what?"

He read my mind.

"Well," the manager continued, completely oblivious to the heartbroken glances Nick, Joe, Miley, and I were all sharing. Is it wrong to want to rip his head off right now? "We caught the guy that hacked the network and took the money. Fortunately, he only spent a fraction of it, all of which will be paid back to you boys. And then I was thinking that after this, we could hit the recording studio and work on those songs you've been writing lately, hopefully we'll have a CD out by the end of the month. Of course, with a new CD comes a whole new round of concerts and tours, so we can begin planning for that as soon as the CD is finished."

The silence was unbearable. Kevin and the manager seemed thrilled about all of this, where as the rest of us looked defeated. And I know that I can't hold the boys back from living their dream and doing what they love, but could our relationships handle the strain of it all? This is exactly what happened last time. Everything became too much and life seemed to give up. But not this time. This time, I'm going to do something. I'll do whatever it takes. I'm not letting this slip through my fingers. Not again.

Just as I was about to speak up, Nick beat me to it. I looked up at him, hoping that he was thinking the same things as me. After all, it's always been like this. If he doesn't want to stick around for me, he should at least stay for the relaxation. Being a teen heartthrob can be stressful.

Instead, he said something completely different. "When do we leave?"

We all looked at him with wild expressions full of mixed emotions playing on our faces. Was he serious? Was he really going to just give it all up? After trying so hard to win me over and everything we've been through, it he just going to say that none of it matters?

I stared at him, tears brimming gin the corner of my eyes. "How could you?" I whispered, on the verge of pinching myself to see if this was just some horribly realistic dream. For the first time in a while, I couldn't look him in the eyes. Instead I just walked out of the room, fighting the tears until I was at least wrapped up in my comforter.

Even after a few measly seconds, I was bawling my eyes out. I didn't want them to leave, especially not now. At the sound of an extra sniffle, I looked up only to find Miley standing in the door frame, her face stained with tears just like mine.

We didn't have to say anything at all. She walked over to my bed, sat down, and hugged me. I wrapped her up in the comforter with me, and together we cried. When you're breaking down like this, sometimes all you need is a friend.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

"Miley, you can't keep unpacking my things. I'll have to go eventually."

Miley and I were standing in Joe's room as he walked back and forth between his closet and his suitcase, resting contently on his bed. But every time he would put something in, Miley would take it out and set it to the side. I would be doing the same exact thing to Nick . . . but you know what happened.

"No," she said, yanking yet another pair of skinny jeans out of the suitcase, "you don't. Just tell your jerk of a manager that you're busy. Something else has come up. You need a break from the whirlwind life of being so famous. Just tell him _something_ to make you stay. Please."

I sent him my most desperate look. "Yeah, Joe, you guys can't leave. Not after everything that's happened in these last few weeks. Just . . . please."

Joe honestly looked like he was about to cry. No matter what he says now or will say later, he eyes are watering. He's on the verge of going over the edge. Joe looked down at the shirt in his hands, and set it down. Back in the dresser. Not in his suitcase.

Miley and I were beaming from ear to ear, and it wasn't long before Joe's expression mirrored ours. We furiously ran back and forth from the bed to the dresser, putting everything in its rightful place. Every now and then we'd hear roars of laughter coming from Kevin and the Jonas' manager, but the guilt didn't last long. We were just about done when my boyfriend walked in.

He spotted the scarce amount of clothes in the suitcase and realized what was going on. "What are you doing? Come on, you know we have to pack and go. Stop moping around and just do it," Nick spat at Joe. What was his problem lately? Why was he acting like such an idiot?

He turned on his heel, ready to stroll out of the room, when I leaped forward and grabbed his wrist as tightly as I could, just so he wouldn't get away. "Why?"

"What?" He asked, clearly agitated.

"Why? Why are you going along with this? You tried so hard to win me back, to make everything right again, to what? Just throw it away in the blink of an eye? No! I won't let you! I'm not saying you have to stop doing what you love. In fact, I would _never_ say that, but you can't do this Nick. You can't do this to me. Not to us. Not again."

The apologetic look in his eyes made me think I'd said something right to change his mind. Wrong.

"What do you know? What does anyone know? I'm doing this. _We're_ doing this," he shot a death glare at Joe, "and no one's stopping us." He thrust his wrist back and it slid out of my grip effortlessly. He took one last angered look before walking out the door.

Oh, crap, here come the waterworks again. Wiping a tear off my cheek, I glanced at Joe. He looked pissed off. More angry than I've ever seen him before. "Are you alright, Lilly?"

I sniffled and rubbed my slightly sore hand. "Yeah, I'm fine." Another tear rolled down, and that set him off. Next thing I knew, Joe chucked the shirt he had in his hands at the wall and bolted out of the room, after Nick.

Miley and I chased after him, but he was much faster and beat us to Nick's room. Within a matter of seconds, Joe was standing right in Nick's face, ready to knock him unconscious at any moment. "Excuse my language, but what the _hell_ is your problem lately?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Nick rolled his eyes and tried to step aside, but Joe blocked him.

"Where do you get off treating everyone like that? Where do you get off treating _Lilly_ like that? She's your girlfriend! You love her! You've loved her for years! I've heard you say it more than once before! So why the _hell_ are you acting like such an _idiot_?!"

Like I said, Joe was pissed. If this was a cartoon, his face would be the color of a tomato and smoke would be flowing out of his ears. But then again, cartoons are funny. And this is anything but funny. Yet I couldn't fight the butterflies that erupted in my stomach when Joe said that. Nick really loved me? He has for years? This is freaking amazing.

There was silence. Miley and I stood in the doorframe, shock written all over our face. Joe was still fuming at Nick, only a few inches away from his face. Nick just looked taken aback. He looked angry, hurt, sorry, confused, and overall just . . . not like himself.

"I . . . I . . . I'm sorry. To everyone. Sorry," he whispered softly. Looking around and realizing that the only place he had to himself was filled with people, he swerved around Joe and sprinted down the hall and in to the hall closet.

"He just needs to think things over," Miley said, reminding us that he needed to sort some things out and talking to him right now wouldn't help.

I put a hand on Joe's shoulder and he sighed deeply, frustrated and regretful at the same time. "Thanks, Joe. Thanks for knocking some sense in to him and sticking up for everyone, and sticking up for me. It really means a lot to me," I said softly, giving him a quick peck on the cheek. Miley knew it meant nothing so she didn't worry about it, and instead gave me a smile.

"Your wrist doesn't hurt, does it?" She asked, motioning towards my cast-clad right arm.

"Nah, it's just fine. But next time I go to grab Nick's wrist, remind me of his strength, alright?" I joked, trying to lighten the mood. Joe smiled. Coiling his arms around Miley's waist, I smiled back. "You two are so adorable," I cooed, making them flush.

Joe, still red, shrugged it off. "Come on, girls, we have some unfinished unpacking to do."

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Later that night, after Grandpa, Kevin, and the manager went to the store to buy a few things, I decided to make some sugar-free instant pudding. That way Nick can have some too, no matter how much of a jerk he was today.

I glanced up for a moment to find Nick leaning against the doorway. "Uh, Lilly?" Nick cleared his throat. "Can I, uh, talk to you for a minute?" I gave him a skeptical look. "No yelling or violent wrist grabbing or harsh words, I promise," he offered, giving me a small smile. I may as well have just melted right there.

"What do you want?" I wasn't going to make myself sound happy or eager or angry or frustrated. No emotion.

"I just, uh, I came to apologize."

I stopped stirring the mixture in the bowl and looked at him, giving him my full attention. If we wanted to say something, now would be the opportune moment to say it. He stepped forward and grabbed my hand. Instead of squeezing back like I normally would have, I let it rest limply in his hand. No emotion. Not until he gives me an explanation.

"I'm sorry. For everything. I know I was being a jerk. But I just thought that, you know, if this was going to happen again, I should distance myself from you. It would make it easier on both of us. If Joe hadn't stormed in my room and set me straight . . . I'm pretty sure you and I wouldn't be together right now."

I smiled warmly, glad to have him back to normal.

"And I know we've had our fair share of weird talks, full of expressing our feelings and whatnot, but after today, I wanted to remind you of something. Joe was right. You're my girlfriend and I love you so much that I'm sure it can't be healthy. I have for years. Ever since we first started going out, in fact. And I swear, if I had known that someone stealing our money would lead us to this, I would have done it a long time ago," he smirked, pulling me into a hug, resting his chin on the top of my head.

I breathed in his cologne, beaming once more for the day. "I love you, Nick. I'd give anything to keep us together. Anything but up, that is."

"And trust me, Lilly, our manager will get an earful if he so much as even tries to break us apart and have us leave again. I'm sticking with you this time. For good."

I was speechless. So instead, I smiled.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

God, this is the most rollercoaster-ish day of my life. It's giving me freaking whiplash. First I woke up with Nick as my boyfriend for the first time in a year, then Miley and Joe got together, then we all went bowling, came back, found out the boys were leaving, and we were all sad, and then Joe decided he wasn't going to and then Nick was being idiotic, then he wasn't and was really sweet instead, and now I'm upset again. All within the time span of less than a day.

Told you it was messed up.

When Joe and Nick's manager came back, they told him what they thought and how they weren't leaving us. They needed this, they said, and found good reasons to stay, each guy shooting an adorable look to his girlfriend. They chewed him out for making them do all those hectic things. They said that they needed a break, even if it was just a small one.

But the manager wouldn't hear it. Any of it. He snapped back about how they desperately needed this after what had just occurred, and even offered to let the boys help produce the CD and put whatever songs they like on it.

And honestly, I don't blame them for siding with the manager.

I mean, this has been their dream for years. Even if they had decided to stay with me and Miley, I wouldn't let them do it. This is their life, their goals, their hopes and dreams. They couldn't throw it away for some silly girls.

But the thing is, they aren't too upset about it. They have something planned, I can feel it. Nick and Joe weren't nearly as upset as before. Nick and I promised to keep in touch, we were going to make this long-distance relationship work, and Joe did the same with Miley. They were upset, but not nearly as heartbroken as Miley and I.

The manager gave them some time to pack up their things, and then they left. For good. Who knows when I'll see my best friend and boyfriend again?

So, for the hundredth time that day, I did the only thing that made sense to me in this crazy world.

I cried.

**XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO**

**Haha, I **_**finally**_** update and then you get a crappy chapter like this. So dramatic. Sorry. My bad. But, I have news! It's both good and bad, depending on how you look at it. But anyways, Next chapter is the last chapter! Unless something incredible weeds its way in my mind, the next one is the last one. And so as to not keep you waiting, I'll start typing it literally right after I post this. And if I don't finish it tonight? I'll work on it in my spare time. It will be up very soon, a week at the latest. I double pinky promise. Trust me, you don't go around breaking those kinds of promises. Anyways, Thanks to all of my spectacularly tremendous reviewers! I swear, I'm probably the worst writer on here, just because I don't update for so long, but you guys still review! Thank you! So, please leave a review and expect the ending soon! Bye!**

**Paraket17**

**PS: Sorry for the long author's note!**


	12. Anything But Up

**A/N: Meant to have this up sooner, but apparently teachers are particularly fond of end-of-the-year projects. Ick. But hey, I counted, and only twenty more days of school! Woo! Anyways, here's the final chapter of Anything But Up! Enjoy!**

**XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO**

Usually every morning when I wake up in this quaint little room at my grandfather's house, it's sunny and bright. Now, for quite possibly the first time since I arrived here weeks ago, I looked out my bedside window and saw gray. The clouds hung overhead menacingly and I didn't hear the birds chirping. How ironic. Nick leaves and suddenly everything is dull.

Looking around, the room seemed less bright, and not just due to the lack of the sun. I didn't hear the rooster crowing or the chickens fluttering around or my best friends laughing downstairs. The silence was unbearable and I hated it.

I looked in the mirror and regretted it instantly. My make-up was running in rivers down my face, and my cheeks and nose were slightly pink from the crying of the night before. My hair was a nightmare and my clothes all wrinkled. How did just one guy have this much of an affect on me?

I went in to the bathroom and got ready for the day, not exactly feeling good enough for breakfast yet. I did my washed my hair, applied my make-up, got dressed and, most importantly, put on the necklace I'd discovered in my closet that happened to be a gift from Nick.

After about an hour, I slowly trudged down the stairs as if I had just woken up. The smell of freshly made French toast greeted me, and I offered a smile to Grandpa's who was sitting at the table, reading the morning newspaper.

"Morning, Lilly Pad," he cheered, obviously making an extra effort to make me feel better. "I heard you in the shower and decided to make these for you, just the way you like them."

I looked at the steaming plate and noticed tiny bits of blueberries and bananas wedged in the mix. "Thanks, Grandpa," I said, smiling half-heartedly. As I was in the middle of pouring syrup on the French toast, Miley came down the stairs, looking almost as distressed as I did when I first woke up.

It was an awkwardly silent breakfast, and I felt sorry for my grandfather to have to put up with two hormonal, heartbroken teenage girls. But hey, the guy I love just left for who knows how long. I think I deserve the right to be upset.

When breakfast was over, Miley and I went upstairs, trying to make this day just a bit brighter. "Think of it this way," I pondered aloud, "since they came we haven't really had any best friend bonding time. And we never sent Oliver that postcard. We could paint our nails and watch scary movies, and just act like it was one big sleepover!"

"Yeah," Miley smiled, "we could definitely do that. I mean, it's not like our whole lives revolve around those boys, right?"

No, but she was close.

Two hours later we were fighting back tears as we reminisced the time we were all together. We missed them like crazy, no doubt about that.

"I hate this." Sniffling, I turned to Miley. "I mean, I love Nick. There's no doubt about that, and Joe is like my amazing older brother. But sitting here, moping about how much we miss them? I feel helpless. We'll see them again. We can still call, text, email, use the webcam, and see them whenever they have a spare hour or two. It's not the end of the world." With each word I said, I felt better. I hate that the guys are gone, but I'm not going to let it consume my summer.

"There are still a lot of things I want to do," I continued, pulling a wrinkled sheet of paper out from under my mattress. "This is a list I started making near the end of school while Corelli was rambling on about the Civil War. As he was talking about how many people lost their lives, I decided that I wanted to do things with my life before I die. This is my list."

Miley reached her hand out, interested, and I let her grab the yellowing sheet. "It's pretty much just a list of places I want to see or visit, like Europe or Australia. A lot of them are crazy ones that my dad found brochures to on business trips and gave them to me," I explained as Miley's eyes scanned the list for the second time.

"Wow, Lilly, I had no clue. I mean, if you had just told me, Hannah could have paid for you to go see these places."

"But I don't want Hannah to pay for me. I couldn't live with the guilt. Besides, I'll get there. Somehow. But it's just a silly list I made a year ago. Every now and then I'll add on to it, but I doubt any of it is ever gonna happen," I told my best friend, taking the sheet back and safely tucked it under the mattress, just where I had it last. Miley rolled her eyes at my dramatics and smiled.

"Come on, Lilly, let's go make some chocolate chip muffins and dye them different colors!" I nodded my head eagerly and we bolted downstairs. It reminded me of the beginning of the summer when I thought it would just be a nonstop sleepover. Now it's just like when we were fourteen, and I love it.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

"Oh, and remember Nose-Whistle Wally?"

"And the time he made that weird science project? People were blowing goo out of their noses for weeks!"

"Ha, did you see the look Skunkle would have on her face every time she went to blow her nose and thought it was blood, but then realized it was just the aftermath of Wally's explosion? That was priceless," I said through gasps for air. Apparently laughing really makes it hard to talk.

"High school may have been hard, but it's the crazy things like these that make it worthwhile," Miley agreed, licking the last blue blob of batter off the rubber spatula.

We sat in silence for a couple seconds, just remembering everything. "Oh, and remember? You had a thing for Joe? Who would've thought that two years and the boys going bankrupt would have made it happen?"

Miley punched me, but couldn't help but smile. "Shut up," she flushed. "Are you really the one to be talking?"

"Yes," I smirked, "I am. Because two years ago I wasn't crushing on anyone, I had a boyfriend, thank you very much." Miley was just about to say something when the timer went off. "Muffins are done!"

Slipping on my grandpa's oven mitts, I opened the oven and pulled out the muffin pan, complete with twelve blue muffins smiling back at us. Figuratively, of course. I was about to dig in when I remembered that they were just pulled out of a burning oven. Not my best idea.

"Hey girls?" Grandpa called from the living room. "Can you come here for a minute?"

I took off the mitts, set the pan on a non-burning surface, and walked with Miley in to the living room. "Yeah, Grandpa?"

He smiled, the light reaching his eyes. "Lilly, could you please go feed the chickens?" I nodded and he turned to Miley. "Sweetie, my body is too old and weak. Could you please bring me the vacuum from upstairs?" Miley also nodded and we were off, Grandpa still smiling. What is he up to?

Grabbing the pail of corn and chicken feed, I stepped outside and made my way towards the barn. Time to check on my favorite clucking, yellow little friends. Greeted by the _oh so lovely _smell of manure, I breathed through my mouth and laughing as the bird crowded around me like teenage girls trying to get a glimpse of a boy band. Laughing, I tossed some feed out to the hens and chickens, watching as they crowded around, pecking the ground. I tossed more and more handfuls of food to them, setting the bucket up on a high hook when I was done, safe from the vicious chicken beaks.

Just as I was about to walk out, I could have swore I heard a noise. I turned, hearing more footsteps coming from a dark corner of the shed. Oh, god, is this really how I'm going to die? Innocently feeding chicken when some psychopathic serial killer sneaks in and stabs me thirty times, just to be sure I'm really dead? But then again, you'd have to be Wolverine to survive thirty stabs like that. Hmm. I wonder what would happen if someone injected a bunch of metal in me and made me indestructible.

But back to my possible killer. "Who's there?" My voice was shaking, and it was this time that my imagination decided to run wild. I saw a brief shady figure moving forward, and I freaked out, frantically grabbing the bucket of chicken feed. Seeing what I picked up, I rolled my eyes. What, am I supposed to pelt them with corn? Yeah, that'll scare them. But who knows, I could hit them over the head really hard with the bucket, though that wouldn't really work out if they had a loaded gun or bow and arrow.

Eh, this is stupid. "Hey, whoever's in here, show yourself. Now," I demanded, trying to get past my nerves, though you could tell by my shaky voice that it wasn't working.

"Lilly, chill," I heard, and I almost dropped the bucket. Realizing who it was, I hung the pail back on the hook and ran forward. "Did you miss me?"

"Yes!" I squealed, pulling Nick out of the shadows and in the proper light. "God, Nick! Did you really have to scare me like that? You know how every creepy thing automatically gets associated with scary movies for me! I thought you were some sadistic serial killer!" I whacked his arm with mine, smiling when he rubbed his redding bicep. This rock-hard cast can come in handy at times.

"Lilly, I missed you so much," I he smiled, making me melt again, and pulled me in to a hug.

"It's only been a day," I said, neglecting to mention that my eyes were watery with tears a few hours ago.

"I know, but still," he smirked, kissing me on the cheek. _Dear stomach, sorry for the butterflies. It's not my fault, it's his._ "Hey, listen, I have a question to ask you."

He held me at arms length and his brown eyes locked with my blue ones. "I already talked to your mom and dad and Grandpa and my manager and the band and Joe and Kevin," he rambled, apparently seeing how many people he could name before I burst with suspense. "Anyways, after we got on the bus yesterday, our manager told us that everything was set up for a world tour, complete with fancy stages and new songs. It'll be a few weeks of rehearsal and lat nights in the recording studio, but when all that's done, we kick off the tour here in northern California."

I stared blankly at him, not getting what he was trying to say. "And where do I fit into this?"

"Well," he smiled, "you could spend all of the rehearsal and studio weeks here with Miley and your grandfather. And then when the tour kicks off, we swing by and pick you up."

Now the smile was plastered on my face, and I thought of Miley. "But, Nick, I can't just leave her here."

"That, my friend, is why Joe is talking to her as we speak. They'll come with us, and this is exactly what you wanted. Don't think I didn't see that little list of yours. You showed it to me one time. And because this is a _world_ tour, you'll be able to see almost every place on that list, while still spending time with us and Miley."

For once, I was speechless. That never happens. I have a motor mouth, so how did this happen? "Nick . . . that'd be great! Thank you, thank you, thank you!" I squealed, pulling him in for a hug, but he ducked his head and kissed me straight on the lips. In case you didn't know, I love this boy.

"I told you Lilly, I was willing to do everything to get you back, and I'll give anything to keep you with me."

"Anything but up," I beamed.

"Exactly."

So I guess I got my fairytale ending after all. The clouds that had been a sad reminder of what was missing were now splitting apart, and the sun was breaking through. I got my first real love back, my grandfather didn't go bankrupt, the boys got their money back, I got to have a summer to remember, Miley got a new boyfriend, and my list, te same list I've had for years now, was finally going to become a reality. Soon I'd get to happily cross off the places I'd been to, all while spending time with my best friends, my boyfriend, and his family.

But we'll worry about the details later. Right now I'm soaking up the moment. Here, kissing Nick, it felt right. And I'd give anything to hold on to this moment for as long as possible.

Anything but up.

**XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO**

**Aww, it all worked out in the end! I knew it would! Ha, sorry about the Wolverine thing in there, I just saw the movie last night and couldn't help myself! Seriously though, if you haven't already done so, go see the movie! It's so good! But Anyways, Thanks to ALL of my **_**fabulous**_** reviewers! I know this hasn't been my best story, or if it was, the lack of punctual updates degraded it. Yet so many people reviewed even when I was a month behind! You guys are seriously incredible. Thanks for everything. On that note, I'd like to mention that I'm in the process of another story! It will be a Loliver, and I can't give too much away, but just remember the list Lilly has in this chapter. That'll make an appearance. You may have to wait a month or two, when I'm out of school (woo!) and things will be more free. But back to what I was saying before: all of you who reviewed – or even just read this story – are amazing. Truly fantastic. So for the last time on this story: goodbye!**

**Parakeet17**


End file.
